The Unwanted Ring
by quantumchickpea
Summary: Marinette has seen spirits since she was a little girl. She loves antique shops and goes into her favorite one. She finds that the trinket that she has had her sites on is still there, after all of these years. But what lingers with the ring is enough to set her heart on fire and peaks her curiosity. Ghost AU. Aged Up. Based on some true events in my life. :)
1. Chapter 1

She slid past him and he continued to follow her like a lost kitten. She sighed and tried to ignore him, even though he was suffocating her. She abruptly stopped and turned around on her heel, shaking her index finger in his direction. "You need to backup a little, you know that? Too close." She whispered and hoped that no one around her had heard her talk to thin air.

She watched the man nod in response and turned back around to continue her search. She had been hoping to find some new vintage clothing. She loved it to look at it and feel the textures of the different materials that were used so long ago.

He walked around her with grace and phased away, before popping back up again on the other side of the white lace dress that she was currently looking at. Her fingers doing as much as her eyes were, taking it in like a fine wine. The lace was delicate along her fingertips and she touched the collar to peer at the label. Something about her gentle touch intrigued him and her warm smile caught his heart on fire. This woman was special and all he wanted to do was go home with her. He felt safe in her hands. She was different than the others that had tried to take him home before. She cleared her throat and headed up to the front, leaving the dress behind. She would buy it another time if it was still available.

Marinette walked up to the clerk that was busy putting stickers on to merchandise for the booths. She worried her bottom lip and fiddled with the silver band between her fingers and thumbs. Her heart beat faster, the more she held the trinket. She just wanted to know the story behind it. Although, Marinette knew that the clerks didn't always know the stories behind the items in the shop. It was a combination of booths rented out to sellers. They just had to keep logs of what sold from where, so that the sellers could keep track of their sales.

"Excuse me." Marinette's voice came out small and she felt the ring grow hot, as if, it was reassuring her to gather courage.

"Sorry, I was distracted. Hello. How are you?" The clerk smiled at her and set the sticker gun down.

"I'm good. You?" Marinette smiled and gently set the ring down, not wanting to part with it long.

"I'm good, dear. What did you find today?" She smiled at her and then her gaze went down to the item on the table. Marinette watched her smile fade and she suddenly became worried.

"Do you, by chance, know the story behind this ring?" Marinette quietly spoke and the clerk cleared her throat.

"I'm afraid I don't. Usually, the items come in here from the sellers and only the sellers know the stories behind them. Sometimes, they don't. However…" The clerk didn't know if she should tell her or not. She knew that the ring had been there for so long, about six years to be exact, but she didn't want to scare her off. She tapped her long red nails on the wooden counter and seemed to get was lost in her thoughts.

"What is it? I know it's been here a while. I kept walking by it and I've been wanting to buy it, but I never did." Marinette peered from the ring to the woman. She was confused as to why this woman would change her mood so suddenly. She was radiating anxiety and Marinette didn't understand why.

"Well… it's been here much longer than a few years. Customers have come in here and carried it around, thinking they're going to buy it, but…" The woman bit her nail and contemplated not telling her anymore about it.

"But what?" Marinette was curious now and she felt him around her. Felt him against her back, peering over her shoulder at the woman at the counter. He hoped the woman wouldn't scare this person from buying his ring. He liked her and wanted to go home with her, after all.

"Well. Everyone had put it back before they even brought it up. Either they would trip and fall, or their fingers would burn, or they would feel sick, scared. They would speak of seeing something out of the corner of their eye. Cursed by a mean spirit were the exact words they used. But you have made it the furthest with it." The woman regrettably fessed up to her.

The male spirit rolled his eyes and huffed at how silly she made him sound. He wasn't mean… He was just picky. Marinette caught a glimpse of him crossing his arms and his face held an annoyed expression. She held back a giggle and smiled at the clerk.

"Well, I'd love to take my chances, please." She opened her purse to grab her wallet and held out her euros for the clerk to take them.

"Suit yourself." She typed the sale into the register and hand wrote a receipt on old transfer paper. She passed her the yellow copy of the receipt and pushed Marinette's outstretched hand away. "It's free. I don't want it here anymore. Do you want a bag for it?"

"No, I'll wear it out. Thank you very much." Marinette smiled warmly at her and took the ring with her. She walked out of the shop and took her dainty silver chain from around her neck. She slid the ring onto it and clasped it back around her neck for safe keeping. She clutched it into her hands, brought them to her chest, and closed her eyes with a smile.

The man with blonde hair put his hands in the pockets of his plum coat and followed her, as she walked towards her apartment. When she had finally dropped her hands to her hips, he had tried to hold her hand, but she had pulled it away from him. He pouted and tried again, but once again, she pulled away from him.

"Would you stop?" She scolded him like a child and he rolled his eyes. "I need space. I just saved you from that shop! The lease you could do is be polite and give me some breathing room. What's your name anyway?"

The man sighed and ran a hand through his hair, as he walked beside her with a foot of space between them. He didn't even know if he could talk to people. He had never tried to. But for some reason he found himself wanting her to know who he was. For her to know his story and help him move on. She turned to look at where she knew he was walking.

"Adrien… Adrien Agreste…" His voice ran through her mind and ears like warm chocolate, causing her heart to pound hard within her chest. The world seemed to stop around her, as she froze up with parted lips. She looked into his eyes, an invisible wall keeping them together yet separate. Once again, wind blew through his golden locks and she got lost in his broken bright green eyes in the fall light. It contrasted with the stark white pallet of winter around her and she pulled her long pastel pink coat around herself more.

"I'm Marinette… Marinette Dupain Cheng." She watched him reach out and take her hand in his. She raised it to help him and he bowed down with his eyes never leaving hers as he brushed his cold lips along her knuckles. It felt like cold air was being swept along her warm skin and she gasped at the sensation.

"Nice to meet you, Marinette." Adrien smiled at her and stood up straight. He brushed his hair from his eyes and his cheeks flushed a beautiful coral color.

Marinette felt her cheeks warm up and she knew that a blush had settled in along her cheekbones. She hid her face in her coat and continued to walk through the snow to her apartment.

He followed her, peering up at the falling snow to catch them on his tongue. He chuckled and spun around with complete utter joy. She watched him take in something so mundane with such curiosity and wonder. Hadn't he experienced snow before? She decided to hold her questions inside until they got to her apartment.

Adrien peered over at her with a smoldering expression. "To answer your question… No, no, father would never approve of me going out to play in the snow. Said it was too dangerous. I'd get sick easily." He went back to kicking the snow along the ground and Marinette watched gusts of snow flying off his black dress shoes. It surprised her that he was able to control that side of him already. That he had already figured out how to touch objects and make them move with his energy.

She giggled and bent down to make a snowball from the ground. She gave him a mischievous expression and threw it at him. It phased through him and he laughed triumphantly; before, he made one and threw it at her. It hit her in the chest and she gasped as she watched him laugh behind his hand. His cheeks flushed a deeper rose as he held his stomach and laughed harder. He had never felt this happy. Not since he was a small child. She shook her head and laughed with him as she finally reached the front of her apartment building. "Welcome home, Adrien." She whispered and he peered up with parted lips at the tall white building with gold details.

"Home…" The word played around in his head and fell from his lips like a sigh. Marinette turned to look at him and caught a glimpse of a tear falling down his cheek. She instantly wanted to help this lost soul find his way home. Whether it be with her or somewhere else. She needed to help him.


	2. Chapter 2

Marinette stopped walking and Adrien phased through her. She looked at him and crossed her arms. "Would you quit walking so close to me?" She whispered at him and he softly chuckled at her.

"I find you interesting." He smiled at her and watched her fumble her keys and drop them. Adrien began to full blown laugh and he covered his mouth with his hand. Marinette rolled her eyes and bent down to pick them up, but Adrien beat her to it. "Gotta be quicker than that."

She sighed and held her hand out. He stepped in front of her and slid the key into the lock and stepped away from her, gesturing to the door. "Ladies first." He gave her a welcoming smile and she blushed.

"Well now you're just showing off." She turned the key, keeping her eyes on him and pushed the door open with her shoulder. "So, this is my-" He brushed past her and into the open concept apartment.

"Wow… it's perfect." He smiled and took in the homey feel of the place. The walls were a soft cool grey and the furniture was white. The couch was a soft peachy pink. He took in the little trinkets along a shelf and she walked over and unhooked the necklace from her neck.

She held it in between her fingers and smiled warmly at it. She cleared her throat and with a bounce in her step, she turned around to face him. "So, where would you like to live?"

Adrien looked at her with parted lips. He had never been asked such a question. He had never been offered to choose anything in his lifetime. Everything had been chosen for him. For once he truly felt free. "Live?"

"Like where would you like your ring to be?" Marinette smiled at him and waited for him to respond. She wanted to respect him and asking him where he wanted his belongings seemed like a good place to start.

"Oh, right. Um… where would you like for it to go? You did purchase it." Adrien smiled and offered to let her decide. He watched her search around the room with a thoughtful expression. He worried his bottom lip and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well… hm. When you were alive…. Where was your favorite place to be?" Marinette sat down on her couch and took her shoes off. She patted the couch for him to sit down with her. He worried his finger like he would have in the past when he was wearing the ring.

"I- I wasn't really allowed to go out of the house. Everything I needed was brought to me in house. I didn't go outside much." Adrien sighed and didn't meet her eyes. "So, when you ask me where my favorite place to be was… I wouldn't really know." He shrugged his shoulders with a sad expression. "Too dangerous, my father said."

"How old are you?" Marinette watched him sit up straight and pretend like he was okay, but she knew better.

"Let's see I died in 1918 and I was... twenty-four?" Adrien tried to remember his age. He knew how he died in the most vivid way, but his age was a different story. It was fuzzy, while everything else was so clear.

Marinette played with his ring between her fingers again. "I'd say you look about twenty-four, but I'm not the best at guessing ages." She smiled over at him and he smirked at her. "Have you decided where you would like to live for the time being?"

Adrien sat back and thought about it for a moment. He looked around the warm apartment. At how everything was decorated in such a welcoming manner. It was a complete contrast from what he remembered his house to look like. "May I look around some more, please?"

"Of course." Marinette stood up and walked into her kitchen to make tea. "Feel free. I'm just going to make some tea."

Adrien smiled and got up from the couch. He put his hands in his pockets and started to take in her place. Adrien slowly walked along the shelves that held books and old items from years ago. She really did collect the most random things. He smiled, as he stopped by a photo of her family. They looked so happy to be together and she appeared delighted to be with them. He wished that he had had a family portrait as graceful and full of love. All of his portraits had been serious and posed to appear like they were a family. Posed by a photographer that his father had hired to make them look like the picture perfect versions of themselves. Marinette heard his footsteps as he walked into the kitchen, taking in her white cabinets and how they popped against the pastel pink back wall. Her counters were a dark grey granite and a small island sat in the middle. He looked around and she hummed a song while she set a tea pot on a burner.

Her voice was a beautiful melody and he closed his eyes and focused on each key and note. It was beautiful and he wished she was around when he would play piano. He slowly opened his eyes and phased away; before, he appeared back in her bedroom. It had bright pink walls and black furniture. He looked around at all of her sewing stuff and her stacks of fabric on the desk beside an old sewing machine. Adrien took in her storage containers of random little trinkets to craft different projects and he smiled. It reminded him of his mother. She would always be making something for herself, him, or others. His father would admire each piece that she would make. Would admire her. Adrien sighed and kept exploring her room. He turned around and his eye caught the sight of a keyboard. It was like a piano, but more compact and had a million switches to change the tempo and the sound of the keys. His eyes lit up and he phased over to it with ease. He pushed energy into his fingertips and slid the bar, turning it on. He breathed out slow and began to play with his slender fingers.

Marinette was busy pouring the hot water over an english breakfast tea bag when she heard the beautiful melody wafting through her apartment. It was enchanting and perfectly played. Shivers ran through her body and she blushed. The familiar tune of _Chopin's No. 1 in E minor, Op. II - Romanza_ filled her ears and she got lost in it. It was beautiful and she found her feet following the sounds that were emanating from her bedroom. "You play?" Her voice scared him and he jumped, causing the keys to miss and the song to stop.

"Uh, yeah." He rubbed the back of his neck, shyly. She saw his cheeks flush for a second and she giggled behind her hand.

"You play beautifully. Can I hear it? All of it?" Marinette covered her mouth and felt her cheeks warm. "I mean, that is if you would like to."

Adrien sighed and smiled warmly for her. "I would love to." Adrien watched the girl walk over to grab her black office chair and wheel it over to him. "Thank you." He sat down on it and focused his energy back to his fingertips.

Marinette sat down on the bed and put her hands in her lap. She watched his fingers glide over the keys with ease and pause at the perfect moments. He got lost in the song with his eyes closed and she couldn't keep her eyes off of him. She forgot about her tea and everything around her disappeared and she was transported back in time.

 _It was January 30th, 1918 and she found herself laying in bed, staring at the ceiling. A collection of Shakespeare sat beside her on the oak nightstand. It was quiet and peaceful inside the room. All of Paris was asleep and the only thing that could be head were the soft sounds of late night people in the streets below._

 _The feel of silk sheets against her skin made goosebumps appear and she felt hot yet luxurious. The quality of the fabric was nicer than any she had seen before. Let alone felt before. A baby grand piano sat within the room and the moonlight carried across it's liquid black surface. It was beautiful as was the art that graced the walls. Art of beautifully dressed women with men bowed to kiss their dainty hands. It was at this moment that she knew that she wasn't in her own body, but in someone else's._

 _She raised her hands to see familiar slender hands that she had been watching along the soft keys of her keyboard. She wanted to go play the instrument, but she was stuck in the frame of time, unable to control what was happening to herself._

 _A high pitched whine rang out before a sonic boom. A bright white light flashed and she sat up in the bed and her hands flew to her ears. Her breathing raised faster and she froze up. The sounds of buildings crumbling and breaking filled her ears, as the sound faded to ringing. More flashes of light and complete silence. It was as if everything was moving in slow motion._

" _Come!" A voice ran out when the ringing faded. She peered over to see a woman with blonde hair reaching out to her. "Come on! Father wants you out of here and into the room with all of us, mon minou."_

 _Her voice was soft and sweet, filling her heart with love. She threw the blankets off and grabbed her hand. Something about this woman's demeanor and the way she felt calmed by her, made her realize it was his mother._

 _They ran down the stairs and into the room where his father was. She was instantly confused by what was happening. This hadn't happened before and her heart raced more with each sharp whine and blast. "What is happening?" She heard Adrien's voice ring out over the loud crashing sounds of crackling concrete and wood._

"Germany has _decided to bomb us, son." His father was a tall lanky man with angular features and very astute glasses on his face. She took in his serious demeanor as she was pushed beneath a well made desk._

 _That was when another flash blew brighter than ever before and she peered out with her knees to her chest to see his frantic mother. She touched his cheek with a warm smile. "You be good, mon minou. Promise me. Promise me that you will go on and have a beautiful family. That you will travel the world and chase the stars."_

 _She reached out and within moments another flash blinded her vision and when her vision came back… she found his mother on the ground, peering at her beneathe a piece of the roof. It had collapsed and fallen on her. Blood spilled from the corner of her lips and she spoke her last words. "Share your dreams with the world, mon amour." She watched her soul leave her eyes and heard Adrien's voice cry out in anguish._

The keys faltered bringing her back to reality. To the spirit sitting at her keyboard with his head pressed to the keys. He had stopped playing and now he just sat there, hiding in his blonde hair, letting the dark baritones slowly build up through the thick air. Hiding his sadness of losing his mother. His sadness of not being alive.

"She seemed like a beautiful woman." Marinette finally spoke and he wiped his eyes with the backs of his hands. "Truly an angelic soul, Adrien. I'm so sorry."

Adrien didn't say anything. He just sat there in silence. She worried her bottom lip and watched him fade away in silence. She suddenly reached out towards where he had sat and yelled out, "WAIT!". But by then it was too late. He was gone.

Tears fell down her cheeks and she held his ring to her chest and tried to push all of her love into it. She knew he was hurting and all she wanted to do was love him. To show him compassion. To show him that she understood what it was like to lose someone you loved, but he didn't come back.

She sniffed and walked over to her crafting area and began to build his ring a special home. One that he could claim as his own. She took a heart shaped wooden box and some acrylic paints. She began to paint the whole box in a deep rich red. Marinette stuck her tongue out as she worked on it, adding intricate art nouveau designs on the top, in white paint. She then took black soft velvet and began to sew a cushion to put inside of the box. She stuffed it with a bit of polyester stuffing and hot glued it into the bottom. She then painted one last thing on the inside of the lid, _Emilie,_ in an intricate font. Marinette then walked over to her bed and set the little box on her nightstand, placing his ring inside, hoping that he would come back.

 **Song I Wrote to:**

 **Frédéric Chopin - Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11 - II. Romance - Larghetto**


	3. Chapter 3

Two weeks had passed by like a slow moving dream. Marinette rested her head on her palm and repetitively dipped her croissant into her chocolate milk. She missed him, which was odd to her. Normally, she would be relieved when a spirit would disappear, but something about him made her want him closer. _Adrien…_ Marinette sighed and dreamily looked ahead of her. _No, this is sill-_

"You called?" Adrien's voice interrupted her thoughts and she shot up to look at him standing in her living room with his hands in his pockets. He teetered back and forth on his feet, not meeting her gaze. "Look, um…" He licked his lips and pressed them into a straight line, while he ran his hand through his hair.

Marinette panicked and her eyes were wide. If he had heard her say his name then he had known the emotions that were running through her body and that was embarrassing. Her cheeks caught fire and her heart pounded in her ears.

"I'm really sorry for- for showing you that. I- I didn't mean to upset you." Adrien let his hand slowly slide down the back of his neck and he peered up at her through his messy bangs.

"It's okay. Actually… can I ask you something about that?" Marinette pushed her breakfast away. She crossed her arms and searched his emerald eyes with her own.

Adrien worried his finger again and she took notice. "I mean… we don't have to talk about it if- if it's too hard. Um.. I'm sorry." Marinette pushed away from the table with a trembling bottom lip. She knew it hurt him to talk about, but the last two weeks had been hard on her too. From having her design stolen by another designer and they had never let her explain how it was hers. How she had tripped and spilled her lunch all over herself in the college cafeteria. No one had laughed at her, but it was enough that it had happened. She had failed her math test and she had stressed over getting a project done for her marketing class. The last two weeks had gone by badly. Not to mention a date she had gone on that had turned awful. She rolled her eyes at herself, as she walked through the hallway and wiped the tears from her eyes. She was a fool for thinking that she could have it all. That she deserved to be loved. She wasn't perfect and she was clumsy. What made her special?

"Marinette." Adrien forced energy into his hand and grabbed hers, yanking her back towards him.

"WHAT? WHAT DO YOU WANT, ADRIEN!" Marinette burst out with her eyes clenched shut, before she gasped and covered her lips with her hands. "I- I am so sorry. I-"

Adrien took in how her eyes were red and puffy. How tears fell down her cheeks. How her lip trembled. He ran his thumb along her bottom lip and held her chin up. "Marinette. It's okay. I want to answer your question. I-" Adrien sighed and let her chin go. "I want to get to know you. And… I want you to get to know me too."

Marinette dropped his hand. "This is- this is silly." She laughed and her voice hitched as another cry tried to escape her lips. She walked away from him with her lips parted in a trembling grimace.

Adrien appeared in front of her and she ran into him. Her eyes went wide as his arms wrapped around her. He pressed his lips to her hair and suddenly she could feel all of him. He was ice cold and he felt so real. So tangible. He radiated emotion and she had never felt this much love before. Her cheeks flushed and her eyes went from being wide to relaxed. "Ho-how are you doing that?"

"Is that the question you had for me earlier?" He smirked at her and his voice invaded her ears like a smooth caramel. Her heart beat faster and she was sure he would feel it against his chest.

Marinette couldn't even speak straight and the room felt like it was spinning. She shook her head as his embrace disappeared from her. She nearly fell down and he pushed energy from his chest and out to his limbs, catching her. "Marinette!" Adrien caught her before she could hit the ground. "Are you okay?" The chill of his body helped her gain consciousness.

"Just- it's been a hard two weeks is all." Marinette licked her lips and sighed. She was having a hard time taking all of this in between the stress of college and the attractive spirit in her house. "Can- can you give me a moment?" She breathed and tried to not panic.

Adrien helped her stand up and she walked into her bedroom, once she had felt his embrace falter again. She breathed out and laid down on her bed. She held her breath and counted to ten before she slowly let it back out.

"Do you want me to go?" Adrien appeared beside her on the bed and wrung his hands in his lap. "I- I can go if you want." He hoped that she wouldn't tell him to.

"NO!" Marinette burst out and was shocked by her own outburst. "I- I wanted to ask you…" She worried her bottom lip, unsure if she wanted to even hear the answer herself.

"Yes?" Adrien searched her eyes with his own and waited for her question. He braced himself for something that he wouldn't want to answer, but he wanted her to know about him. To know everything there was to know about him. He wanted to know more about her too. Wanted to explore more of her personality and what she was into.

"When the bombs fell from German Bombers on January 30th, 1918…. Did- " She cleared her throat. She was too afraid to ask and when she finally did get the courage to… the words fell from her lips in a jumble. "Didyoudiethen?"

"Did I what?" Adrien raised an eyebrow confused about what she had said. It came out of her mouth so fast. The words were faster than a bullet coming out of a _St. Étienne Mle 1907_ machine gun. He shook his head, getting lost in the haunting memories of when he served on the front lines and a nurse with midnight hair and bluebell eyes.

"Did you pass away that night?" Marinette worried her bottom lip. Her heart picked up its pace and she felt like she wanted to cry for him.

Adrien laid back into her pillows and sighed, placing his hands over his stomach. "No. I stayed under that desk until they could rescue us from the rubble, which back then… well you could imagine how long that would take." He let his thoughts wander, while his trembling hand ran through his hair. He remembered what it was like laying there beside his trapped mother beneath a desk that was surrounded in ash and rubble. His leg throbbed and was pinned beneath the bent metal of the desk.

 _Adrien breathed taking in his surroundings. The smell of stale earth and nitroglycerine filled his senses and tears fell down his cheeks. Shock, hysteria, and anxiety ran through his blood and when he tried to move… he realized his shin was trapped beneath the bent metal of the desk. The memory of his best friend losing his leg in the war beside him ambushed his mind and he suddenly grabbed his thigh and pulled. He clenched his teeth, feeling the metal bite into his leg with each pull, before he fell back exhausted against the inside wall of the desk. This was worse than when he had almost died in The Battle of Verdun back in 1916. He panted and looked around with wide eyes. Someone had to save him. Someone had to know he was there. "Oh God, no one knows I'm here!" Adrien pulled at his hair and suddenly pulled his hands away to see crimson stains on his palms. It all took him back to being on the front lines, hopelessly fighting against German troops with jammed guns and losing ammo by the millisecond. He screamed out and everything fell into place. His mother had been crushed in front of him. His father was nowhere to be found and he was trapped beneath a desk. A desk that was probably buried and hidden among the pile of waste that was their lavish mansion._

" _You have to find my son! My wife- she- she didn't make it, but I'm sure he's out here. Our house! It's- It's over here, Roger. Just please! Find him! I need him to be okay. I've- I've lost so much!" Gabriel's voice rang out and Adrien perked up at the familiar sound. "You see I already almost lost him in the war. I- I can't go through that again. I won't stand for it. No! No I simply cannot accept this."_

" _FATHER!" Adrien cupped his hands around his mouth and screamed out, hoping that he would hear him. He kicked the metal with his free foot, hissed in pain, and winced when his other leg tugged slightly from the metal._

" _ADRIEN?" Gabriel returned the muffled screams. "C'mon. I heard him."_

 _Footsteps crunched on the rubble above him and he looked up at the bottom of the desk. Across the wood were words that he had scrawled as a child. 'I love you Mommy.' was circled in a red heart and when he turned to look beside him… he was reminded that she was no longer there. He sniffed and pulled her body closer to him and cradled her in his lap. He clutched at her as he would as a child and ran his fingers through her hair and cried. She was the only thing that kept him from being emotionally hurt by his father. The only sunshine in his storm. He pressed his forehead against her pale cheek and let all of the pain out of his soul. All of the agony and desperation._

 _Light fell upon him as the desk was removed. He peered up from his mother's lifeless body with puffy eyes circled in black to see his father towering over him._

" _Oh, Adrien." Gabriel sighed looking down at the man clutching to his mother for dear life, surrounded by ashes and concrete chunks. "Are you okay? I was so worried."_

 _He held his hand out, but Adrien clutched to his mother tighter and buried his face in her soft golden hair. "You need to let her go, son. It's okay. Come on." Gabriel held out his hand for his son to take it._

 _Adrien began to be filled with rage and questions about where his father had been. The man looked too clean to have been in the rubble with him. Too clean to have been in the hell that he was currently in. Adrien swallowed hard and finally found his voice, "Where were you?"_

" _I was with you. This whole time. I was trapped down the way. I ran away right when the part of the roof fell on your mother." Gabriel tried to explain to his son, but Adrien didn't buy it._

 _Adrien coughed and peered up at him with hatred in his eyes. "You're too clean. Too unharmed to be where I am."_

" _Look, just- just come with me. Let's get you to a healthcare professional. We can talk about this when it's all over." Gabriel took Emilie from Adrien's grasp and Roger helped Adrien stand. He draped Adrien's arm across his shoulders._

"In the morning I found myself on a train to a different city with a broken leg. My father told me how he had run to his bunker that he had never told my mother or I about. I never realized I wouldn't make it a few months later. It's funny really. That a few bombs couldn't end my life, but a small bug could." Adrien awkwardly laughed with a shrug.

"Bug?" Marinette's eyes widened in shock. "Like an illness?"

Suddenly, a knock sounded at her door and Adrien phased away. Marinette went to tell him that he could stay, but when she opened the door… Alya tackled her.

"Hey, girl!" Alya smiled and wrapped her arms around her. "I was walking by and thought I'd stop by. I haven't seen you in a while. You've been so busy with your assignments." She bumped her shoulder with her fist and Marinette giggled.

She worried her bottom lip. "Well, not just my assignments, Alya." Her thoughts went to a blonde haired man in plum with sparkling emerald eyes and a charming smile.

"Marinette Dupain Cheng… did you finally find a man?" Alya gave her a sly smile.

"N-no…" Marinette waved her hands in front of her face with a blush forming on her cheeks.

"I see it on your face, M. You can't hide it from me that easily." Alya giggled and stepped inside of her apartment. "So, have you gone to _Le Petite Bibelot_ recently?" She walked along her shelving with all of her old finds.

"Yeah, I went about two weeks ago." Marinette smiled at her and lead her to her bedroom. "I finally picked up that ring I told you about."

Alya raised an eyebrow at her as Marinette reached down to pick the ring up from it's box. She brought it over to her and put the silver band into Alya's hand. "So, what's special about this ring? It's so plain."

Marinette bit her bottom lip, worried her hands together in front of her, and peered up through her dark side swept bangs. "Well… um… it kind of… has a guy? Attached to it… and… well…" She gestured with her head in an awkward manner.

"Wait. You're telling me that you have a _crush_ on a ghost?" Alya was in shock and she fell onto Marinette's bed and sat down. "Like a real ghost?"

"Spirit actually. Um-" Marinette sat down beside her best friend and saw something shift in the corner of her eye. "No, no…. Don't be silly. I can't have feelings for a spirit, Alya. That's just- just silly." She watched the image of Adrien fade with his head bowed. Her lip quivered and she reached out for him, but it was too late.

Marinette suddenly took the ring from Alya's fingers and steered her to the door. "You know I have to get up early… how about we meet for lunch tomorrow between my classes and I'll tell you more."

Alya planted her feet and looked over her shoulder at her best friend. "Alright… tomorrow. And don't be late!" She called out as Marinette began to close the door on her.

Marinette smiled with a nod and waved good-bye to her friend. "I'll text you later, promise!" She called out and let her voice call down the long hallway. She shut the door and pressed her back against it with her eyes clutched tight. She slowly opened her bluebell eyes and looked down at Adrien's band. She slipped it onto her left ring finger and spun it with a warm smile. Something about it sitting there reminded her of something. Almost like a vague distant memory that she couldn't quite place.

A hand slammed beside her head and she looked up with wide eyes to catch flaming emerald ones mere inches from hers. His lips were in a grimace and she could feel frustration and anger radiating off of him. "IS IT TRUE?"

Marinette could barely get words out of her mouth. She was in shock at how forward he was being. "Is- is what true, A-Adrien?" Her voice trembled and his breath was cold on her lips, while his citrus cologne intoxicated her. "Is what true?"

Adrien looked down with his bottom lip between his teeth. His frustration at her blatant denial of feelings for him were getting the better of him. That was… until a thought occurred to him. _Let's see if she can deny this._ He chuckled before he peered up with a smolder in his eyes. He pushed energy into his other hand and touched her chin, closing the space between them.

Marinette gasped and her eyes shook back and forth as time slowed down. He slowly closed his eyes and she did the same, waiting for his cold lips to touch hers. Waiting for the moment she had wanted for a while now. Adrien licked his lips and brushed them against hers. He pushed the energy out from his chest and became tangible again. She slid her hands up his biceps as he deepened the kiss. He tasted of mint and the chill tingled her tongue and lips, sending a shiver through her body that ran to her toes and along her spine. She pulled him closer and ran her fingers through his hair. He pressed her against the wall and moved his lips against hers and relished the feel of her warmth. He missed being warm. She softly mewled and soon his touch was gone. He pressed a chaste kiss on her forehead and smiled. "Still feel nothing for me?"

Marinette touched her lips and felt like her legs were going to give out. She clutched the wall and used it to get to the couch. Marinette fell onto the couch and Adrien sat down beside her. "Still want to hear my story or did I pick the wrong girl?"

"This is all silly. Why- how could I- Why do you- I-" Her cheeks felt warm and she licked her lips in shock of what she had just done. She was confused as to who this man was and why he was so important to her. Why did she feel so deeply connected to this spirit? How had he done what he had? "Ho-how did that even work? How did I- how?"

"I haven't even shown you the half of it, ma cherie." Adrien pushed energy to his fingertips and he raised his hand to brush her midnight hair behind her ear. He radiated energy through his body and pressed himself further towards her on the couch and she leaned back. He captured her soft lips again and she gripped at his coat with her fingertips and he pressed her into the couch, rolling his hips against hers. He broke the kiss and trailed them to her neck. She clutched at his back, peering past his shoulder, and she gasped out. He wanted her to remember. To remember who he was. To remember their past. Her past. Even if it was her past life. He had to reach her. To tell her. To show her how much he had missed her. Missed her loving touch and caring voice. Her laugh and her smile during a time of turbulence and turmoil. A beautiful melody among ricocheting bullets, loud screams, and high pitched bombs landing with vigor.


	4. Chapter 4

Alya was waiting for Marinette at the small cafe down the way from her college. Marinette stumbled through the doors, her hair a mess. She straightened herself up, rubbed the silver band around her neck with her fingers, and smiled. "Hey, girl!" Alya called out and waved her over.

Marinette sat down in the seat across from Alya and set her bag at her feet. "Hey. Sorry about yesterday." She rolled her eyes and brushed her hair from her face. "I was a little out of it with how my last two weeks have gone and everything."

"Yeah, I know how that is. What happened? I haven't talked to you in ages." Alya smiled as a waiter sat waters down for them and handed them each a menu.

"Well, I had my design stolen because with this whole Adrien thing… I haven't had a moment to really focus and… I kind of forgot to sign my project. Plus, I clumsily tripped and dumped my lunch on myself… then I had an awful date with an art student…" Marinette sighed and took a sip of her water.

"So. His name's Adrien." Alya raised an eyebrow. "Well, it is unusual for you to not sign your pieces, Marinette. But I think under these circumstances… it would make perfect sense. But I want to hear more about this Adrien."

Marinette blushed and fiddled with his ring. Adrien stood behind Alya with a smirk on his face and a challenging glint in his eye. She gave him an irritated expression and he laughed.

"Well… he's 24 and… was in the 1918 bombing of Paris. Um… he has golden hair that is to his shoulders. Maybe a little higher. He also has gorgeous green eyes. I mean the most beautiful I have ever seen with flecks of gold." Marinette felt her cheeks grow warm and Alya ordered food for her. "He's sweet, charming, silly, and… smart."

Adrien crossed his arms and gave her a curious expression. She had gotten that all from just the short time they had together.

"And when he kisses me he tastes of mint and-" Marinette got lost in her thoughts and Alya held up her hand and interrupted the dreamy girl.

"You _kissed_ him? Like literally kissed a ghost." Alya's eyes went wide and she didn't believe her. "How?"  
Marinette sighed and tried to think of what he had done. How had he done it? He had never explained it to her. Adrien phased over to her. He stood behind her and grazed the shell of her ear with his lips and whispered, "I push my energy into my heart. Then I let it spread out to whatever part I want. If I surround my body in it then you get all of me. And I do mean… _all_ of me." Marinette gasped and her cheeks grew hot.

"Um- well, he uses his energy and becomes solid for a short time." Marinette swallowed hard and pressed her thighs together.

Adrien phased back out and appeared behind Alya. He felt good about what he had done. He had gotten to her again and he took a secret thrill in it.

"And a _spirit_ tastes like mint?" Alya raised an eyebrow as their lunch was set in front of them.

"Well… when he's solid he does." Marinette giggled and remembered the feel of menthal. How it tingled her tongue and made her mouth feel cold. Adrien chuckled and smirked from behind Alya. "Oh Alya… he's amazing. When I was on that awful date… all I could think about was him. He went missing for two weeks and within those two weeks… everything went crashing down. Now, that he's back…. I can't get him out of my mind and I don't understand why. I feel like he's important and I can't wrap my head around it."

"I don't know Marinette. This sounds like something you'll have to figure out with him." Alya took a bite of her food.

Stories of classes and bad dates filled the rest of their lunch time and before Marinette knew it… she was heading back to class after telling Alya good-bye.

Marinette sat in her design class and worried her stylus between her lips. All she could think about was his kiss and how it felt. How it felt to have his body pressed against hers, even if it was for only a brief moment. She fiddled with the ring around her neck. She had chosen to bring it with her for goodluck. Today was the day that she would try and claim her design back as her own.

Adrien had tried to give her advice last night on how to go about doing it, but she still had her doubts. How could she have spaced out on signing her own work? She always signed her stuff. Marinette kicked herself for letting herself get distracted by an old spirit that had decided to leave for two weeks. Two weeks of hell, not only for her but for him too.

She shook her head and focused back on the lecture about materials and what patterns to pair with what. Marinette went back to taking notes, but when a cold hand reached over and pinched the top of her stylus… she jumped. Marinette peered beside her to see a man with blonde hair and green eyes, but his eyes were in shadows instead of pale pink shades. She instantly became worried about him. He didn't look the same. More sickly than he had previously shown her.

"I'm fine." Adrien whispered to her with a warm smile. He coughed slightly and she worried her bottom lip.

 _You don't look fine._ Marinette thought and watched him with curious bluebell eyes. She searched his and her instructor suddenly asked her a question, noticing that she was distracted.

"Warm shades." Adrien answered for her before he wrapped his arms around himself and coughed again.

"Um- warm shades?" Marinette slowly turned to her instructor with a smile. She didn't know why he would know that, but she chose to shake it off.

"Correct Mademoiselle Dupain Cheng." Her instructor commended her and she blew out a breath in relief.

 _Thank you._ She smiled at him and began to finish her notes on her tablet, while Adrien sat beside her shivering with a warm smile. She suddenly felt a chill on her shoulder and something trembling. She looked next to her and saw Adrien with his eyes clenched tight, leaning on her for comfort. Marinette hoped that the class would be over soon. She wanted to know what was wrong with him, but right when her instructor signalled that their time was up… he phased away.

Marinette gathered her things and put them into her bag, before she walked up to her instructor. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Sure. What did you want to discuss?" Her instructor was busy packing up his own stuff into his bag.

"That design that you really liked? The one that Charlotte turned in? It was actually mine. I- I can prove it. Um." Marinette took a sketchbook from her bag. She always drew her concepts in one. She nervously flipped through the pages, her thoughts stuck on a sickly Adrien. "See, I had planned it out weeks ago. You can see by the date and signature on the concept sketch. I've had a very stressful two weeks and I forgot to sign it like I usually do."

Her instructor nodded with a warm smile. He touched her shoulder and spoke. "I know that, Marinette. I can always tell what designs are yours. You do great work."

"But- but you didn't let me talk or explain myself when it happened." Marinette was confused about the whole situation.

"Well, I knew it was yours. Charlotte is good at what she does, but she has nothing on you. You, Mademoiselle Dupain Cheng, are going places." He winked at her and she sighed with a warm smile.

"So, my grade won't be docked?" Marinette looked up at him.

"Of course not. I already put it in. Full points. Good job. I look forward to your final project. Now, I have to go. I have a meeting with Charlotte during my office hours. I'll see you next week. Enjoy your weekend." He smiled and walked past her.

Marinette couldn't believe that she had gotten so lucky. She shook her head and walked out of the classroom and headed towards her apartment. She had some more questions for Adrien that she needed to ask.

The walk home didn't take her long and before she knew it, she was in front of her apartment door and heading inside. She walked in to a quiet home and she secretly had hoped to be greeted by him, but he wasn't there. She sighed and shut the door behind herself. Marinette shrugged off her coat and hung it up on a hook that she had created from an old 1920's door plate and a door pull that she had found fitting for it. She had picked it up at a thrift shop a while ago. It had been cheaper than buying one at the local shops that were manufactured in ceramic and lacquered in a shiny pastel paint. She blew out air in a slow drawn out breath and made her way to her kitchen. She sucked her bottom lip between her teeth and turned the oven on to preheat. She felt like baking. She hadn't done it in a while and today seemed like a better day than any to relax and enjoy it. She wanted to forget how sick Adrien looked. It broke her heart and she didn't know why exactly. If it was because she had feelings for him and cared for his well being… or if it was something deeper.

"So… wanna hear the rest of my story?" Adrien's voice rang out around her and she turned to see him standing with more life in his face than before. The circles were gone and he was back to being his usual perky self.

"What?" Marinette dropped the mixing spoon into the mixing bowl, confusion and shock marked her face. She shook her head and laughed at herself. "Yes, yes. Please do. Sorry, I'm still getting used to you just showing up."

"Sorry for scaring you." Adrien smiled at her and pushed energy into his hand. He pulled her closer to him and touched her cheek with his fingertips. "Alright, I'll tell you. And while I tell you the rest of my story… you can keep baking."

She burst out laughing. "You seem so excited even though you can't eat it."

"I relish in seeing you in the kitchen baking, Mademoiselle Dupain Cheng." Adrien winked at her and she smiled at him with a blush.

"Do you now?" Marinette burst out in a fit of giggles as she added sugar to her butter in the bowl.

"Mm-hm. So much so… that I may find myself distracted by your charm." Adrien leaned on the counter and watched her stir the ingredients.

"Will you just tell the story?" Marinette burst out in a fit of giggles and dumped the flour mixture in after she mixed in the egg. The flour poofed up and covered her and the spot where Adrien stood. She gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. Adrien choked and laughed harder at the situation. "I- I am so sorry…"

"It's just the floor, Marinette. You can't ruin something that's not solid." Adrien laughed, but on the inside it hurt him. Hurt him that he wasn't whole anymore. He was a soul stuck to walk the earth, searching… for something… but he couldn't quite place what it was.

"I'm still sorry." She walked over and grabbed a broom from a nearby closet and began to sweep the flour from the floor. "Anyway, tell me more of your story." She smiled up at him and stood up with the dustpan in her hand. Marinette walked over to throw the flour and dirt into the trash can as she hummed a tune.

"Back in 1914, I was enlisted into the army. I was put on the front lines and it was during the Battle of Verdun that I met a beautiful woman with bluebell eyes and dark midnight hair in the year 1916." Adrien got lost in the memory and Marinette's gentle hums became rapid artillery fire.

 _Adrien panted as the loud sounds of spraying bullets hit the ground around him, causing the mud to pick up around him in rays of wet thick dirt_

 _The soldier that had originally been firing the St. Étienne Mle 1907 had been hit by German troops and was now laying lifeless beside him. Adrien cursed under his breath and took over. He loaded another 25 round metallic feed strip into the machine gun after yanking the empty one from it. He pulled the charging handle out to release it. Then pulled the handle back towards himself and snapped it back into place. He let it charge, before he pulled the rate reducing mechanism out to engage it. His heart rate picked up as he rotated the dial away from himself to change the rate of fire. He pulled back the charging handle and snapped it back in place repeating over and over again, while he held down the trigger. The gun fired at a rapid rate, blowing through the 25 rounds within moments, as he swept it along the enemy line. Adrien kept replacing the metallic feed strips until he ran out. He locked the charging handle back down and laid low in the trench. He got on to his stomach as a bomb flew and skidded along the ground. He covered his head as he heard it explode along the dirt and a shower of wet Earth rained over him and the gun. He grimaced and crawled over to his box of ammo with determination. Pulling the metal box towards himself, he opened it and began popping shells into the empty feed strips, while laying low on the ground. Once they were full, he sat back up and fed a metal strip through the gun and set it up to fire again._

 _The body casing heated up, causing the site to move considerably less due to the fact that it grew hot at a different rate than the barrel. This made it hard to focus on where it was firing and right now was a pain in the ass for him. Adrien groaned, "DAMNIT, the damn barrel is overheating!". He tried to overcompensate for it and not let it get in the way, until the gun jammed from all of the mud. He hadn't had a chance to clean it and it had been days since he was able to._

 _Adrien hurried and picked up his Chauchat. He set it up on the edge of the trench and pulled the charging handle back and aimed at the enemy line. He pushed the trigger, firing and knocking down one man at a time. Adrien pulled out the empty mag and snapped in a new one. He continued to fire the machine gun until it overheated and jammed as well. He cursed and picked it up to hit the barrel against a rock nearby, but it didn't help. He sat back against the wet mud wall and a rat ran by him. He hated this and all he wanted to do was go home. To get out of this hell. When Adrien took in his surroundings, he found that he only had a few men left around him. Most of them were left lifeless on the ground. Some missing limbs, while others were left whole and riddled with machine gun entree and exit wounds. His hands shook and his pupils dilated as he took in the bodies moving from rats feasting on them. His chest rapidly moved up and down and all he wanted to do was reach for his pistol on his hip and end it all. Just make it all stop. His raised his hands to his helmet and gripped onto it. His legs shook and his stomach turned over in disgust. Fear filled his lungs and he gasped as more wet thick mud spilled on top of him._

 _A grenade landed beside him and his eyes went wide and he quickly scrambled away from it, but the sheer sound of it exploding knocked him into shock and before he knew it a bullet entered his chest._

" _Medic!" Adrien faded in and out, as another soldier placed pressure on the wound._

 _Before he knew it, he was being carried to a medical tent six miles back from the front lines. It was a long white tent with two rows of beds on either side. The ringing wouldn't stop in his ears and his vision was blurred. The pain in his chest was becoming nearly unbearable by the moment. The only figure he could focus on was a girl in white with beautiful blue eyes and midnight toned hair._

" _So. Does a gussied up, keen, man like yourself have a nickname?" The nurse with midnight hair and sapphire eyes smiled at him as she looked him over in the makeshift field tent._

 _Adrien grimaced and gasped in pain, but he was able to chuckle a little at her flirtatious remark. "Yeah, they call me Chat Noir. But- you- can call me- Adrien." He winked at her and tried to speak through the pain._

 _The nurse chuckled. "Alright, big shot. You just sit tight. We'll have you all patched up and on a transport soon."_

 _Adrien reached out and caught her wrist. He gasped at the pain and throbbing in his head and where the bullet had entered in his chest. "Wait. Didn't give me- the pleasure- of knowing- your name, ma- cherie."_

 _The nurse turned around and placed her hand over his. "It's Marinette and I'll be your lucky chauffeuse this evening." She gave him a warm smile and hung up his I.V on the brass stand._

 _They moved him onto a table, where a doctor ran over with a medical kit and a nurse removed his uniform. He faded out of consciousness as the doctor located and removed the bullet from his chest. The ringing kept him hostage and the only thing in his vision was a nurse with bluebell eyes behind a white mask. Her eyes were kind and he tried to focus on her instead of the pain that was racking through his body by the moment. They sanitized his wound and bandaged it._

" _Transport him to the nearest hospital in France." The doctor cleaned up the best he could. "Tell them he has a bullet injury to the chest and shell shock. I don't know whether it's physical or psychological until he opens his mouth again. Which I'm sure you'll have no problem getting him to talk." The doctor chuckled at how flirty the two had become. It was one of the very few parts of his job that made it interesting. Hearing all of the men flirt with the nurses, but it still wasn't enough to bring him out of hell._

 _The female nurse nodded and other staff helped her load him into the back of the ambulance. It was times like these that she loved her job. She loved driving and transporting casualties because it got her away from enemy fire. She put the car into gear and drove off to the hospital. Adrien groaned in the back and she looked behind her at him. "Can you tell me a little more about yourself?" She tried to keep him conscious and hoped that asking him a little about himself would keep his mind going. She didn't want to ask him about what had happened just yet. She wanted to keep him distracted until they could get to the hospital._

" _My father- a doctor- at one of- the hospitals- at-" Adrien weakly spoke and coughed as he shivered. The cough radiated the pain in his chest and he softly groaned._

" _France." Marinette smiled and focused back on driving. "My family owns a bakery in Paris." She missed working in the bakery with her family, but when the need for nurses arised… she chose to become a bigger part of the war effort._

" _Why are you a nurse?" Adrien gasped and tried to focus on her voice, at least what little words he could catch from it._

" _I wanted to be a part of the war effort. Plus, how else would I have met such a keen man like you." Marinette giggled and he smiled for once. It was nice to hear her voice among the ringing around him. Even though it was garbled, it was still beautiful. "Are you sure you're not some big shot outside the war?"_

 _Adrien chuckled and moaned at the pain. He coughed for a moment. "Well, some might argue that. My father- pretty well known."_

" _What's his name? Can you remember that for me?" Marinette pulled up to the hospital that had been made from an abandoned school._

" _Gabriel. Agreste." Adrien weakly spoke and the name resonated within Marinette's mind._

 _She knew that name and it shocked her that she had his son in her ambulance. "Wait. You're the son of the best doctor in all of France?"_

" _Yes." Adrien coughed and she parked the ambulance out front, while a team of nurses and staff ran over to open the back door and pull him out._

 _Marinette was at a loss for words as the hospital staff started to carry him away. "WAIT, WAIT!" Adrien grabbed her wrist and the medical staff stopped. He peered up into her bluebell eyes. "Stay. Stay with me. I don't trust these people."_

 _She peered up at the building with a frown and looked back down at him with a smile. "Your father is stationed at this hospital. You'll be fine."_

 _Adrien shook his head and winced as he got dizzy from the movement. "I won't be. I only trust you."_

" _Don't move, Chaton." Marinette sighed and tried to think. She wasn't supposed to stay with the soldiers once they were transported, but something about him drew her in. She tried to think of a solution, but she came up empty._

" _We have to get him to treatment. Make up your mind." The staff looked at Marinette._

" _I- I'm sorry. My duty is on the front lines." Marinette let his hand slip from her wrist and he slowly lost hope, as her warmth left him._

"I spent days in the hospital in the care of other nurses and my father. Days thinking about Marinette." Adrien sighed and watched Marinette put the cake pans into her oven.

"Did you ever see her again?" Marinette set her oven mitts down onto the counter.

"Well… I wasn't easy to deal with." Adrien remembered the nurses finding him temperamental and stubborn. The only nurse he wanted was Marinette and so he refused half the treatment. His father was quickly becoming frustrated and Adrien's wound had begun to fester due to him not letting them change the bandages.

 _Gabriel finally caved and communicated with the front lines. "I understand you have a nurse there by the name of Marinette?" He pinched his nose and let his glasses fall down his face. "Yes, good good. If I send you a replacement… can you please send her my way? We need her expertise in my hospital. I hear she's quite a spectacular nurse. Yes, good. Alright, I'll send them right over when she arrives." He hung up the radio and sighed._

 _It didn't take too long for Marinette to arrive back at the hospital and another nurse took the ambulance from her. Marinette could tell the woman was excited to start work on the front lines, while Marinette was relieved to be away from it. She walked in and they passed her a clean uniform. She eagerly cleaned up and changed into it._

" _You're to be the exclusive nurse of our patient Adrien Agreste. He's a bit temperamental and stubborn, but Dr. Agreste seems to think that you can handle his son." The other nurse rolled her eyes and Marinette's heart caught fire at the name. She had been pulled from the line of fire to take care of the very soldier she had not been able to keep her mind from. "You must be good at what you do if he pulled you from the front lines."_

 _Marinette smiled and bit her bottom lip behind her white mask. "You could say that." Her heart pounded louder in her ears as the other nurse lead her down the row of white beds._

 _Men laid in each one with varying degrees of wounds from shell shock to missing limbs. She searched each bed for a man with blonde hair and green eyes. She didn't need the nurse to tell her who he was. She caught sight of him in an instant and tried to contain herself._

" _Here's your patient and here's his chart. It should tell you his diagnoses and treatments." The nurse passed her the chart and Marinette looked it over._

" _Got it." She nodded, but his warm smile distracted her from what she was supposed to do._

" _My father called you, did he?" Adrien smirked for her and his voice came out gravely._

" _Yes. Well, someone did." Marinette smiled and set his chart at the foot of his bed. "Would you like some water?"_

" _Yes, please." Adrien gave her a charming smile._

 _She helped sit him up and brought the water to his lips. "So, want to tell me more about yourself?"_

 _Adrien chuckled at her and she went to work undoing his bandage that was over his wound. Marinette was used to seeing infected wounds and his was no different. She cried for him internally. "Why didn't you let someone change this? You know you're in deeper water now?" She scolded him and he grimaced as she cleaned it out._

" _Well, I- I was kept inside my house since I was a child. My father was too afraid to have me wandering around in a dark world such as this one. My mother- would sneak me out a lot until I was old enough to walk. Then I was kept inside. I'm sure after this… that'll only get worse." Adrien winced as she put a new dressing onto the bullet wound. "And to answer your other question… I don't trust doctors or nurses easily. Medicine hasn't really been too amazing the last few years. Don't you agree?" He waited for her response, but instead her lips parted to argue._

 _She gave up with a sigh. "Alright, big shot. You win this time. Now, get some rest. I'll see you in a bit to take you outside for some fresh air. It's a beautiful day." She went to walk away to rinse out what she had used to clean his wound when his hand shot out to grab her white uniform._

 _Marinette turned around with a warm smile. "Can you sit beside me, please?" Adrien looked up at her with pleading, shadowed, eyes._

 _She couldn't find the heart to walk away from him. Not when he looked so helpless and broken. "Alright. I'll sit with you, Chat Noir. But you need to promise me you'll sleep. Says here… it's been a few days since you've slept." She had picked up his chart and looked it over again. The words physical shell shock and bullet wound stood out to her._

" _Night terrors, sounds, gunfire, explosions… can't sleep, Ladybug." Adrien smirked at her and she giggled at the nickname._

" _Ladybug?" Marinette raised an eyebrow at him and blushed. She hadn't expected him to give her a nickname. She was usually given a million different female names from soldiers that were dying, but being named after a little red bug seemed silly._

" _Ladybugs are good luck and you're my good luck charm." Adrien sighed and slowly closed his eyes._

" _Alright, hot shot. Get some rest. I won't leave your side." Marinette ran her fingers through his hair and began to hum a soft melody. One that he recognized. One his mother would hum before he would fall asleep as a boy. He slowly drifted off to sleep, hearing her soft song instead of artillery fire._

"What happened to her?" Marinette pulled the pans out to cool for ten minutes. "Did you get out?"

"Well, I got out and eventually had asked her to go steady with me. It took me a bit to gather the courage to ask her to marry me. We were sitting in my father's yard and I pulled daisies from the ground and began to weave her a daisy chain. I placed it on her head and-" He got lost in her bluebell eyes and was surrounded by lush grass.

" _I'm gonna marry you one day." Adrien smiled and picked at the wet, rich, grass. Marinette watched him with surprised eyes._

" _Marry me?" Marinette squeaked at his words in shock._

" _I'm gonna marry you and you're going to say yes." Adrien smirked at her and took in how the sunlight caught her eyes and made them sparkle._

" _And what if I said no?" Marinette knew she wouldn't, but she couldn't help but pick on him._

" _Then I guess I'll just have to keep asking you, bugaboo." Adrien smirked at her and she giggled, as he began to tickle her sides._

 _She fell over and he leaned over her, moving her hair out of her face. "You're more beautiful than the sky and the moon combined. I'd love to marry a girl like you, Marinette. Will you please do me the honor of being my wife?"_

 _Marinette worried her bottom lip and nodded. "Yes, yes I'd love to marry you."_

 _Adrien exclaimed with excitement and she giggled as he trailed kisses along her cheeks and kissed her soft lips with his own._

"We got married that June. She was beautiful, but in a month or so she came down with influenza. It was running rampant and the fever took her before I had a chance to get her medical help. I failed her. I soon died a few months later from the same illness in a hospital bed under the care of another nurse and my father." Adrien sniffed and she watched his face change into one of a broken man.

Marinette began to piece things together. The nurses name, the fact that her parents were bakers too, the fact that this man seemed so familiar. "If- if I was reincarnated? I know that exists and the more I think about your nurse… the more I realize that I might have-well- been her? Was I her?" Her eyes went wide and she looked at him with tears in the corners of them. "Was I your Ladybug?"

Adrien worried his bottom lip and nodded in silence. She covered her mouth and gasped. "So- wait… if I was reincarnated… why weren't you?" The question lingered in the air and suddenly Adrien felt like he had been slammed in the chest by something bigger than a bullet.

He gasped and fell to the ground on his back and Marinette watched his clothing change to a white deep v-neck tee and tight fitted blue jeans. Blood ran from his head and his expression was painful.

"ADRIEN!" Marinette fell to her knees beside him and watched him phase away. "ADRIEN?" Tears fell from her eyes and she was at a loss for what to do. She had had dreams of how spirits had passed away, but never while she was awake. "WHAT DO I DO?" She held her knees to her chest and cried. She needed to find out what had happened. She had a name… She just needed to search it. She ran to her computer to look him up and speed dialed Alya to come over. If anyone was good at digging up information it was her best friend.

When she searched _Adrien Agreste_ a slew of articles popped up, but only one stood out to her.

' **Son of Wealthy Fashion Designer, Gabriel Agreste, Left in a Coma After Being Struck by a Truck'**

"Hey, girl! What's up?" Alya's voice rang out in her ear and Marinette nearly dropped the phone.

"I think- I think Adrien isn't just from 1918." Marinette could barely get the words out, as she scrolled down the article to see a photo of the spirit that had been following her around. Except for one difference… he was wearing a plain white deep v-neck tee and fitted jeans. "Alya, I think Adrien may have been reincarnated and is in a coma at a nearby hospital."

"WHAT?" Alya yelled out and went to say something else. She had so many questions, but Marinette interrupted her.

"I need you to come over. NOW." Marinette hung up her phone and it fell from her hand. She was in shock and didn't know if she was going to snap out of it. She couldn't keep her gaze off of his piercing emerald eyes, the flecks of gold sparking in the flash, and his perfectly smooth glowing skin. His golden hair was gelled to the side and her heart skipped in her chest. "Oh God." She brought her hands to her mouth and brought her knees to her chest, before she clutched his ring in her hands.


	5. Chapter 5: nsfw

Alya was at her apartment within moments. "Marinette, just breathe. I'm sure there is an explanation for all of this."

Marinette teetered back and forth on her couch. "I- I don't think there is. Read the article. I- I need to know more. I-" Marinette suddenly turned to grab her best friend's shoulders. "I need to know everything I can find."

"For his modern day self, he has his face plastered all over social media. It shouldn't be too hard to find out stuff about him. As for his past self and yours… I mean there's probably records somewhere. Maybe… but even then it'll take you a century to find it all. The internet is probably your best bet for the past stuff. Unless…" Alya tapped her chin for a moment.

"What?" Marinette burst out and searched her best friend's eyes.

"Relax, Marinette. It's not like it's your fault he's in that coma. I was going to say… unless you go to a historical society or something. I'm sure there is some place like that here." Alya shrugged at her and Marinette jumped up to go back to her computer. Alya quickly followed her and sat down on her bed.

Marinette immediately began searching for places that would have names listed or something that would lead to what Adrien had talked about. Something to make it all seem real. It wasn't like she didn't believe in spirits because she had grown up seeing them, but she had never dealt with someone that was between worlds. As she was busy searching Adrien phased beside her in modern clothing. The same ones that he had disappeared in earlier.

 _Did you know?_ Marinette thought and kept scrolling down the page. Adrien sat down beside her and sighed, tugging at the front of his hair.

"No, not exactly. I- I guess I forgot. What happened before that… I had been having vivid dreams…" Adrien tried to remember how he had ended up where he had, but it was foggy. He couldn't even tell her how he had gotten to even find himself in a position to have been struck by a vehicle. "I'm sorry." He groaned with frustration and Marinette reached out and placed her hand on his thigh.

"It's okay. I wouldn't expect you to." Marinette spoke ignoring the fact that Alya was in the room with them. Alya perked up and peered over at her best friend. Marinette covered her face, realizing that she had spoken out loud.

"Is he here now?" Alya raised an eyebrow at her. She had never seen Marinette interact with a spirit before and it peaked her interest.

"He's… kind of always here in some form or another." Marinette shrugged and a blush came to her cheeks. "At least he's always listening, that is."

"Where is he sitting? Oh my god! Am I sitting on him?" Alya began looking around herself horrified.

Adrien rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. He got up from the chair beside Marinette and stood in front of her, sticking his tongue out and making a silly face.

Marinette burst out laughing. "Really… showing your age there, Adrien."

He shrugged and phased back to Marinette. He ran his finger up her spine and brought his lips close to her ear. His voice was soft, yet loud. "Would you rather I entertain you while she's in the room?" His voice was seductive and Marinette blushed harder, clearing her throat.

"Anyway, just start at one historical society and move onto the next. Or… ask the man himself. He's in the room isn't he?" Alya aimlessly flipped through her phone.

"He doesn't remember anything from his present life, Alya. He just knows he got hit. Nothing else." Marinette sighed and shut her computer down. "It's getting late. I'm gonna try to sleep on it and visit the local library tomorrow."

"Alright. But I want you to sleep. None of this staying up late to talk to a ghost or work on your endless creative projects." Alya lowered her eyes at her and pointed at her with her index finger.

"Okay, Alya." Marinette giggled at her best friend.

"Promise me you'll sleep." Alya watched her as Marinette walked her to the front door.

"I promise." Marinette laughed harder and opened the door for her. "I'll keep you posted on Adrien. If I find anything." She waved goodbye to Alya and shut and locked her door behind her.

"So… she's gone." Adrien leaned on the wall beside her and crossed one ankle over the other. Marinette rolled her eyes and walked into her kitchen. She began to frost the cake that she had put aside.

"And?" Marinette licked some chocolate frosting from her finger. Adrien watched her with hunger filled eyes.

"God what I wouldn't give to eat that off of you and make you cry out my name from those beautiful lips of yours." Adrien looked from her feet to her eyes and Marinette squeaked at his words.

"Um- I- did- did we do- ya know…" She waved the icing spatula in the air with rose hued cheeks and trembling legs. "Did we have sex?" She felt weird asking a spirit that question. She had never thought that question would make it out of her mouth. It wasn't the normal one that she would ask someone. Anyone for that matter. No matter if they were living or not.

Adrien chuckled and phased into her kitchen. "Well… do you wanna know?" He leaned onto his elbow on the counter with a smirk that only accentuated the danger in his illuminated green eyes.

Marinette worried her bottom lip. "Yes…?" She breathed and he walked around the island to her. He took her hand and spun her away from what she was doing. She set the spatula down and licked the chocolate that had gotten on her fingers. He touched her chin and brushed her bottom lip with his thumb, before he flicked her top lip with his tongue and brushed his lips against hers. She gasped and he pressed her into the counter. He lifted her up and set her on the counter. "Is that your answer?" She felt light headed and like she was floating on air.

Adrien chuckled and ran his fingers up her thighs, sending electrical currents along her skin. He ran his tongue along her ear and nibbled. She softly mewled against his advances and felt his cold hand along the swell of her breast and her bra strap fell down her shoulder. "Many, many times… you name a place and it happened."

Marinette gasped and she found herself moaning and wanting him closer to her. He captured her lips again by pushing energy through his body and she grabbed his shirt. She swiped her tongue along his bottom lip and whispered, "Show me what we did."

Adrien looked into her blue eyes with sultry forest hued ones. "Would you like to see it at the same time?"

"WHAT?" Marinette's voice went up in shock and her eyes went wide.

Adrien chuckled at her. "I can show you both physically and mentally. If you like. It's up to you." Marinette felt like her legs were going to give out on her and she'd be a puddle on the floor.

"Sh-show me mentally and ph-physically?" Marinette watched him nod with a smile on his face and closed eyes.

"I can show you everything, Marinette." Adrien winked at her and she felt like her skin was on fire.

"Yes. Show me everything, please." Marinette nearly begged and he trailed kisses along her neck and she gripped his arms and moaned, wrapping her legs around his waist as he became solid for her.

"It's gonna take all of my energy and I don't know how long I can stay after. If at all." Adrien touched her cheek with a serious expression.

"It doesn't matter. I'll find you. I promise. Just show me, Chaton." Marinette shook her head and yanked him closer capturing his lips and deepening the kiss within moments. Suddenly, her apartment became bright and colorful. She found herself in a field of bluebells.

 _Marinette walked along the lush grass in a tight flowing ivory dress. The bust was a square cut neckline and was decorated in intricate swirls and beading. The sleeves were flowy and laid nicely down the front and back of her shoulders. The dress came down past her feet. Her fingers were intertwined with Adrien's as they walked along the trees._

 _Adrien lead her and stopped beneath a tree. "Sit." Adrien smiled at her and she did as she was told, looking up at him with wanton eyes. He smiled down at her and brushed his hand along her cheek._

Marinette gasped against his kiss and he lead her down the hallway to her bedroom. She felt like she was lost in a dream and when Marinette was laid back into the tall bluebells, she was laid back into her bed. She kept fading in and out of reality and the past. Something about it was intoxicating and intense.

 _Adrien laid beside her and brushed her cheek with his thumb with a warm smile and leaned into her. He brushed his lips against hers and she sighed. "I love you, bugaboo." Adrien smiled warmly at her and pressed his lips to hers again in a chaste kiss, but she pulled him more on top of her. The soft tall grass grazing her skin and setting it on fire._

Marinette softly mewled and he slid his hand up her thigh, leaving her skin feeling tingly and sensitive, as his cool fingertips grazed her skin. She gasped as he looked down into her eyes with heavily lidded eyes and slid his hand beneath her jeans.

 _His hand slid up her thigh, pushing her dress up to her hip. She moaned and her fingers worked at the button and zipper on his grey slacks. He ran his tongue along hers and she moaned as she slid her hand beneath his pants and undid the buttons of his undergarment. He softly groaned as her hand glided along him._

Marinette bucked her hips as his cold fingertip rolled in a circle on her sensitive clit. Adrien placed chilled kisses along her neck and she moaned as he slid his other hand up her side and beneath her bra. "Undress for me." Adrien whispered and it shoved her back into the past.

" _Undress for me, Ladybug." Adrien sighed against her lips and she stood up and turned away from him. She turned her head to the side with her eyes downcast and began to undo the bodice, letting her dress fall to her ankles in a pool. She stood for him in loose fitted lingerie. A blush came to her cheeks and he smiled at her. He walked up to her and placed a hand on her hip._

Adrien swirled around Marinette, who was now standing in a pink lace bralette and matching panties. He got on his knees and brushed his nose between her folds through her thin panties, while he held her hips. His voice came out in a whisper, pushing her back into the past. "Drop them."

" _Drop them." Adrien softly spoke and ran his nose between her folds, while he gripped her hips. She gasped and undid the buttons, letting the whole lingerie ensemble fall to the ground. He took in her perfectly rounded breasts and her taut stomach. "God you're beautiful."_

"God you're beautiful." Adrien whispered along her skin, gently blowing chilled air along her sensitive slick slit. Marinette gasped as she felt something cool between her folds, tingling and vibrating her clit. She looked down to find Adrien pushing his tongue past her smooth lips and circling her clit with his tongue. "Ah- Adrien." Marinette gasped and he smiled. She felt her muscles tighten up and flex within her body.

 _Adrien stood up and laid her down in the flowers and climbed on top of her. Marinette began to work at his grey vest after pushing his suit coat off of his shoulders and down his arms. She kissed him like he was her oxygen and soon pushed the vest down his arms, as well. He threw them both beside them and ran his tongue along hers. She cried out as he trailed kisses along her neck._

Adrien laid her down on the bed. "Undo your bra." Adrien whispered along her skin and she sat up to undo the clasp. Within moments it was on the floor and lost with her panties.

"What about you?" Marinette's chest rose and fell with each gasp and moan. His fingers trailed from her collarbone to her breasts and he circled her nipple with his cool touch, causing it to harden. He brought his lips down to the other one and she arched her back at the cold sensation. He chuckled and phased away, before he appeared again without clothing and she gasped.

 _Marinette moved her finger along his white button down shirt and she undid the buttons along with the ones on his undergarment, freeing his muscular chest. She slid her fingers down his chest till she reached where he needed her most. He groaned as she wrapped her fingers around the length of him. She softly moaned in his ear and lined him up to her tight opening. He groaned, as he slid into her wet sex. She gasped and gripped at his shoulders._

Marinette gasped as he radiated energy through his whole body and slipped into her tight, wet, sex. She clutched at him as memories crashed into her mind, while he rolled his hips and thrust into her at a slow pace.

 _Adrien thrusted into her along the flowers, which filtered to a beautifully decorated bedroom. She was left breathless as he pumped into her. The silk sheets adding an extra element to her tingling skin. She clutched at his biceps, feeling his muscles flex for her. Adrien peered up with parted lips and flushed cheeks, capturing her gaze with a vision of love. She closed her eyes and moaned. The room shifted to the kitchen and she was suddenly sitting on the edge of their kitchen table. He had her dress hiked up and was busy thrusting into her faster, harder. She held onto him and panted with her forehead pressed to his. All she wanted was for him to be closer. He wasn't close enough and she clung to him like her life depended on it. The room faded into the back of a car and he had her on his lap. She held his shoulders and rolled her hips against him. He was looking up at her with parted lips as she crashed down harder onto his cock. Adrien moaned and yanked her down for a flame fueled kiss._

Marinette cried out as she came and he peppered her cheeks and face with soft kisses. She slowly came down from her high and he smirked up at her, letting his touch linger along her jawline and down her soft neck. "What about you?" Marinette tried to catch her breath and he smiled warmly at her.

"You said you'd find me." Adrien faded away and Marinette suddenly felt so alone.

She laid down and curled up on her side. The tears that had been threatening to come out fell from her eyes. She didn't even know where to look. The article hadn't stated what hospital he was in. Just that he was in one and had been there for six years and she doubted she could just call up Gabriel Agreste's assistant to ask which one he was at. They probably got calls everyday asking to interview them or asking where he was.

She got lost in her emotions when her phone went off. She looked down at it to see an unknown number on the screen.

"Hello?" Marinette's voice came out shaky when she didn't mean for it to.

"Mademoiselle Dupain Cheng?" A female voice came into her ear in a professional tone. Her heart skipped as she realized what words were going to come next. Her stomach turned as she realized what this woman was going to say next. "You're mother has been in an accident and we have her here at _Hôpital_ _Coccinelle_ _._ "

"I'll be right there." Marinette quickly hung up the phone and slipped her clothes back on. She ran over to grab her shoes and keys before she headed out the front door. She ran down the hallway and out of her apartment into the rain.

 **Song I wrote the sin to:**

 **What Now by Rihanna**


	6. Chapter 6

Marinette skid into the hospital doors and asked for her mother at the front desk. A nurse lead her down a long hallway towards her mother's hospital room. Marinette's heart beat loudly in her chest and went up to her ears. She pulled her coat closer to her when she caught sight of a patient in the corner of her eye through a glass window. _Couldn't be…_ She shook it off and kept following the nurse down the long hallway. She had to see her. She had to make sure she was alright.

"She's stable, but we want to make sure she is okay. We'll keep her for a couple days." The nurse spoke with a calming manner and Marinette nodded.

The nurse stopped in front of a room and knocked. "Your daughter is here to see you." She sweetly spoke through the door.

"Come in." Tears fell from Marinette's eyes when she heard her voice.

The nurse opened the door and Marinette ran to her mother and hugged her. "Maman. Are you okay? How are you doing? What happened?" She rambled and let the tears fall from her eyes. "Where's papa?"

"He left to get some food. He'll be back, love. I didn't want to worry you. You could have came in the morning." Sabine warmly smiled and brushed her daughter's hair from her eyes.

"If you need anything don't hesitate to ask." The nurse smiled and left to go care for her other patients.

Marinette shook her head. "No, no I'm glad they called me. Thank you, maman." She sniffed and hugged her mother tighter. "What happened?"

"Just a minor accident is all, love. Nothing to worry yourself about." Sabine tried to calm her daughter down. "My car is totaled though."

"Oh… maman! I'm so glad that you're okay!" Marinette crawled beside her in her bed and Sabine hummed a song and ran her fingers through her hair.

"I'm fine… why don't you tell me all about your last few weeks, hm?" Sabine smiled at her with a light in her eyes. She was groggy from the pain medicine they had recently given her.

Marinette told her all about her design drama and about her bad date. She told her about her latest antique shop finds and about Adrien. Sabine calmly breathed and listened to her daughter speak until Marinette suddenly went quiet.

Tom walked in with a few pastries and some coffee. "She fell asleep?"

Sabine put her fingers to her lips and shushed him. "She needs it. She's had a very interesting few weeks."

Tom chuckled and sat the food down on the small table beside her bed. He picked Marinette up and laid her on the couch in the room. He covered her with a blanket and picked the food back up. He sat in the recliner chair and sighed, drinking his warm coffee. "How are you feeling, darling?"

"Better. I didn't have the heart to tell her what happened." Sabine sighed and winced at the pain in her back. The accident wasn't as small as she had made it. Her car had spun out and rolled once, but somehow she hadn't gotten too hurt. Just a few bruises and scratches here and there. Most of the pain stemmed from her tensing up. She thanked whatever was watching over her that day for saving her. The only thing she remembered was some man telling her she was okay. She had turned to say something to him, but he was gone. When she had asked the police about the man… no one had seen him.

"It was a good thing that man was there to keep you calm." Tom took a bite of his food.

"Yeah…" Sabine didn't know who the man was or what he was, but he was something.

Marinette woke up in the morning and decided to walk back to that patient that had caught her eye the night before. She walked back down the hallway and stopped in front of the patient's room.

She peered through the glass window. Her heart suddenly pumped harder and her cheeks flushed. She fiddled with the silver band that hung from her neck. She took in the patient's golden hair and pale complection. How he was sleeping soundly in the hospital bed. The only movement was his chest rising and falling. Various tubes were hooked up to him, keeping him stable and alive. Each one connected to something at the head and end of his bed. Monitors moved and showed his vital signs beside him. She watched the lines move along a screen.

She noticed a nurse walk by her and she quickly grabbed her attention. "Excuse me, who- who is that?" Marinette touched the glass with her hand and bit her bottom lip at the sight of him. All of the memories flooded back to her and suddenly she felt like she was floating on air again.

"I can't really tell you that information. Do you know the patient?" The nurse raised an eyebrow taking in her longing expression. "I mean… I guess that's a silly question. Everyone knows who he is…" The nurse rolled her eyes realizing who it was.

"What's wrong with him?" Marinette didn't take her eyes off of him. She wanted to know everything that had happened to him.

"Haven't you heard?" The nurse seemed surprised that Marinette shook her head no. "Well… he was walking towards a library and for some reason… wasn't paying attention and was struck by a truck. By the time he got here… he wasn't responding." She sighed and hated to break the news to this woman, who was watching him with love filled eyes. "He is actually scheduled to be taken off life support today. He's been here for six years like that and his father has agreed to let him-"

Marinette turned to face her. "CAN I SEE HIM?" Her voice came out in a burst of emotion and tears burned her eyes. "Please."

The nurse looked at her weird for a moment and thought about it. "Well… seeing as how you look like you may have known him well and that it's his last day… He deserves a visitor. The man hasn't had one in three years." The nurse warmly smiled at her and let her into the room.

Marinette's eyes misted over and her heart leapt into her throat. She gasped for air and brought a shaking hand to her mouth. It was him. The man that had been following her around.

"I'll be right outside if you need anything." The nurse smiled and closed the door once Marinette nodded.

Marinette sniffed and rubbed her nose with a trembling hand. She pulled a chair up beside him and sat down. She smiled at him and ran a hand through his hair and he smiled in response. She was shocked to see him do anything to her touch. She cleared her throat and took his hand in hers. It was soft and heavy when he wasn't controlling it himself. His nails were freshly trimmed and his fingers were slender, clearly perfect for the piano. She warmly smiled at the memory of him playing for her in her apartment. "I- I don't know if you remember me or- if you even know me." Marinette began to speak to him and she let the tears fall down her cheeks. "But I'm not ready to let you go… When I just found you." Her voice broke and tears fell down harder. "I'm not ready to say good-bye. Not yet. Not when our story is just beginning. Our new story." She burst out into tears. "You can't leave me. I just found you. Again. Maybe not on a battlefield, but- but in your own battle. Your new battle. I might not be your nurse or wife or… whatever… but- but I want to get to know you. I want to- talk with you. Make you laugh. Make you smile. Make you say my name the way you did… Feel your touch." She raised his hand and brought it to her cheek. She closed her eyes and relished in the softness against her skin. "Please… please wake up. I- I have something."

She gently placed his hand back down at his side. She reached behind her neck and undid the necklace, letting the ring fall into her palm. "I went to my favorite antique shop. It's called _Le Petite Bibelot._ It's full of booths and old things and- Why am I telling you this? You don't care." Marinette warmly smiled with a sniff and lightly giggled at herself. "Well, I spent three years walking past this thing. Three years! Can you believe it? It's silly really. But- I finally broke down and bought it. I picked it up and there you were, clear as day. I mean a spirit, but it was you. And you have spent the last two weeks with me." She shook her head and her smile faded. Her lips trembled as she looked down at the ring in her palm. She sniffed and tried to control her breathing again. "I- I want you to have it back. I don't know why you weren't paying attention when that truck hit you, but- but I wish that you would tell me. I want to hear your story. Your current story. I want to meet your father. I want to- I want to experience everything with you and I know that's silly because-" She sobbed with a laugh and then sniffed with a trembling smile. "-because I'm a complete stranger to you." She brushed his medium length blonde hair from his closed eyes and she watched him slightly smirk. "Anyway, I'm rambling again." She rolled her eyes and picked his left hand up again. She kissed along his knuckles and slid the ring onto his ring finger. "I hope that you find peace and I hope that you always love me like you did when we were together in the past. I hope that you never forget me, Chaton."

She burst out crying and rested her closed eyes on the back of his hand. Her tears soaked into his skin and she felt his hand twitch. His fingers weakly tightened around hers and she felt him pull with hardly any force. She slowly looked up at his face with puffy red eyes. His eyes fluttered open and she was suddenly staring deeply into deep beautiful emerald eyes with flecks of gold. "Mar-Marinette. I- knew- you'd- find… me… " His voice was hoarse and barely audible, but her name was there. Plain as day.

"ADRIEN!" Marinette burst into tears and touched his face with her hands. He coughed and the nurse that was standing outside noticed that he was awake. Her eyes went wide and she ran to get a doctor.

"I thought- lost- you." Adrien weakly spoke and barely managed to raise his hand up to brush a tear from her cheek. He smiled at her with heavily lidded eyes and she cried harder. "Don't… cry… Come."

"But I- I barely know you." Marinette tried to protest and her cheeks caught fire along with her heart.

Adrien weakly chuckled. "Bugaboo… You've been- in- my- dreams… for years. Not- just- two- weeks. I want- to- hold you."

She climbed in beside him and hugged him, trying to not disturb all of the wires and tubes. "I almost lost you. If you wouldn't have woken up- they-" She burst into fresh tears.

"What'd I- say?" He softly took a deep breath with the help of oxygen and she tried to stop her body from shaking.

He weakly wrapped an arm around her and she clutched herself to him. Adrien leaned down and brushed his chapped lips against her soft ones and electricity pooled between them. Marinette gasped and he reluctantly pulled away. Every movement felt like a chore to him.

"Monsieur Agreste. You're awake. I have to commend your great timing." The doctor smiled and Marinette scrambled out of his bed with an embarrassed blush.

"Come on. I'll take you back to your mother. I'm sure she's wondering where you've gotten off to." The nurse smiled and winked at Adrien as she lead the blushing woman out of his room.

Marinette looked over her shoulder at him and he slowly waved at her with a warm smile, barely raising his hand from the bed, as the doctor pulled the curtain around him. Her heart raced with adrenaline. All she wanted to do was be with him. To be at his side and never leave. Just being apart for mere seconds was unbearable. "Please. I- Can I see him again?" She peered at the nurse with hopeful eyes and she sighed.

"If Monsieur Agreste wants to see you then yes. I don't see any harm in it." She smiled at the girl and Marinette burst out with a million thank yous.

"You must be a lucky charm if he woke up after you talked to him. He hasn't responded to any of the nurses and I mean any of them. Even the one all of the patients seem to love." The nurse rolled her eyes and Marinette giggled.

Suddenly, she remembered back in 1917 when Adrien wouldn't deal with any nurses and his father had to transfer her there for him. She shook her head and peered at the nurse with widened bluebell eyes. "You said he hasn't responded to any nurses?"

"Nope, not a single one. Stubborn man." The nurse joked and Marinette blushed at the thought.

"You don't even know the half of it." Marinette's cheeks flushed.

"You might as well turn around… Monsieur Agreste has already requested to have her back in his room." A different nurse caught up to them, right as they were about to reach Sabine's room.

"Right now?" The nurse she was with raised an eyebrow.

"He's stubborn. Whether he's awake or asleep." The nurse shrugged and Marinette searched from one nurse to the other. "Says he won't let anyone near him unless she's there."

"That he is." She sighed and lead Marinette back to Adrien's room. "Lucky Charm, I say." She shook her head and laughed.

Marinette was lead back to his door and she knocked with a shaky hand. "Come in." His voice was still hoarse and quiet from being out of use for so long.

She slowly opened the door and shut it behind her. "H-hi." Marinette awkwardly smiled and he pointed to the chair beside his bed.

She grabbed it and pulled it closer again. Marinette sat down and he turned his hand palm up. She slipped her hand into his with a warm smile. "Do- do you remember me?"

"Of course. I'm guessing- I didn't tell you- my whole story." Adrien lightly curled his fingers around hers and Marinette shook her head. "There- should be- a bag- with- my stuff. I- asked…" He breathed in, catching his breath.

Marinette saw the clear drawstring bag on the couch in the room. She walked over and grabbed it before she sat back down beside him.

"Reach- inside- jeans." Adrien cleared his throat and Marinette searched his green eyes. "Pocket. Water?"

Marinette jumped up and let the bag fall. She grabbed a cup with a straw that was sitting on the table beside his bed. She stood beside him and put the straw to his lips.

"Well this seems eerily familiar." Marinette joked and he burst out laughing.

"Does- it- now. Although a bullet- may- have- been less painful…" Adrien blushed at his words and took a sip. She set it back down and went back to looking through the pockets of his jeans. She tried to ignore the blood stains or the high quality feel of the material.

She finally touched something cold and metal. Marinette pulled it out and peered down at it. "What- what is this?"

"What- starting my search. Here." He weakly moved his hand in a come hither motion. She dropped the brass heart-shaped pendant in his palm. "My- mother- before she passed… gave me this. Told- me- that it- belonged to someone- very- important…" he gasped again. Talking took a lot of effort and Marinette gave him more water.

"Merci, Marinette." Adrien smiled at her and she blushed deeper.

Adrien opened the locket and passed it to her. "I- began to have vivid dreams of my past- of this girl…" She looked down to see that on one side was a photo of the spirit she had seen in a uniform, while the other side had a photo of her past self in a beautiful gown. Well, she suspected it was a gown… the photos were only from the chest up. "I- I became obsessed. I went- to the- library- to look- for something... on it." The room faded to the library as he thought about it. How he had hurried before his father knew that he had left the house. How he had paid Gorilla good money to not talk. Money always bought his freedom with his bodyguard. Had done so for years.

 _Adrien felt the locket in his jeans as he quickly walked across the parking lot. He had been having these crazy life-like dreams for months and they were beginning to drive him mad. He focused on the front of the library as he drew nearer. The world around him began to fade and a voice filled his ears. Everything went black and he was soon in a different time. He was beside a hallucinating Marinette, holding her hand and praying to anything to take him and not her. Tears fell from his eyes and she weakly smiled up at him. Her breathing coming out in rattles as she gasped for air. "Promise… me… when…" She gasped for a breath again and coughed for a while. Her chest burned and her throat was raw. "When- I- go… You'll… move… on…" Her voice was weak and he kissed her hand over and over again. "You'll… get… sick- if you… keep… doing… that…" Marinette let tears fall down her cheeks._

" _I don't care. If I do not have you, I have nothing." Adrien burst out in tears._

" _Chaton…" She weakly touched his hair and brushed it away from his eyes, gazing into them one last time. "You… must… live… on. You… have… so… much… to bring… to this… world…" She gasped again and coughed. Blood trickled down from the corner of her lips and he brushed it away with his handkerchief._

" _You are going to be fine, Ladybug. I promise to protect you." Adrien lied for her as his tears betrayed him._

 _She smiled for him. "I- know… I'm- not- o...kay…" She coughed again and he brought his head down to her hand and let his sobs rack through him in shame. "But- you- are…"_

 _Adrien peered up and gasped. "I- I'm not. I can't live without you. I won't live without you. I can't."_

 _She grabbed his chin and smiled at him. "You- have- to let… me- go… big shot." She winked at him and clenched her eyes tightly as she coughed harder. The coughing felt endless and her lungs felt like they were bursting with each rattling breath. Tears fell down her eyes at the pain. She would never wish this on anyone. It wasn't the most glamorous way to go. She didn't even like him seeing her that way. "I'll- find- you. We're… meant… to be… always… have been… always… will be…" She reached up to weakly take off her locket and she placed it into his hand. "I- love- you…" She smiled up at him and slowly closed her blue eyes and before he knew it… she was gone._

"I felt- like I- had been- hit by… something… big. I didn't- know- what." Adrien coughed and Marinette helped sit him up to drink more water. "Merci, Ladybug."

Marinette gasped at the nickname and suddenly a smirk fell on her lips. "You're welcome, Chat Noir." She set the cup back down. Feeling the weight of the liquid inside. She took note that it was almost empty.

He took the necklace from her. Adrien slipped his fingers beneath her chin and she moved closer. He kissed her gently on the lips and she sighed. He smirked and slid his tongue along her bottom lip and she gasped in surprise before she relaxed. He slid his tongue past her lips and she ran her tongue along his. He tasted of mint and it reminded her of when he had kissed her as a spirit. "You taste the same." She sighed with her eyes closed. They fluttered open and the corners of his eyes crinkled.

Adrien burst out in soft chuckles. "It's odd to think- that I- ended up here- searching- for you… and here you are." He didn't know how he got so lucky. Not that being hit by a automobile was considered lucky in his books, but he still found her. Or rather, she found him. Marinette giggled and jumped at the sound of a new visitor.

"ADRIEN!" Gabriel's voice rang out with Nathalie's and Marinette stood up with his bag of things and stepped out of the way. "You're awake. I'm so glad that you're responsive." He sighed and hugged his son. Adrien peered over his father's shoulder in shock and watched Marinette. How she set his bag back on the couch and how she walked over to grab his water cup.

"I'll just go see if I can get you more water." Marinette awkwardly left out of the room and pressed her back to the wall outside his door. She looked down at the cup and fiddled with it. Was she even worthy of him? She was well known within her college as being one of the best designers, but was that enough? She sighed and a nurse walked past. She suddenly shook herself out of it in time to ask for more water. The man went to go get it and she sat down in a chair that she found. She rested her elbows on her thighs and gripped her hair in her hands.

The nurse came back and handed her the cup with a smile. "You okay?" He took in how she held her hair in her hands. "Are you close to him? I heard he just woke up and you happen to be the woman that did it." He gave her a warm smile when she slowly peered up at him.

"Am I worth it?" Marinette asked on a whim and he was taken aback by her comment.

"Are you worth it?" He looked at her confused and then thought about it. "Hmm… well, I'd say everyone is worth it, but if you're asking if you think you're worth it to him… I'd say if a girl could get me to wake up after six years of being in a coma? She'd be worth everything to me." He winked at her and she sighed.

"I just don't know if I'm crazy or not. Or if I should even be in his orbit. Can I even stand beside someone so talented and well known? Should I? Do I deserve this? Am I good enough?" Marinette went on rambling.

"Well, this all sounds like questions that you should be either asking yourself or that man in that room, right there." The nurse smiled at her and pointed towards the room. "You'll never know until you ask him."

Marinette sighed again. "I think I'll go see my mother. Can you give this to him, please?" She passed him the cup and stood up.

"Sure." The nurse smiled at her and watched her walk away.

Marinette walked to her mother's hospital room and stepped inside. Her father was gone again and her mother was sitting in the bed reading something. Marinette sat down beside her bed. "Maman?"

"Yes, dear?" Sabine set her book down and smoothed her hands along her lap. She was exhausted, but her injuries seemed to be healing okay.

"Remember how I told you about Adrien?" Marinette worried her hands in her lap.

"Yes?" Sabine waited for her to continue. She could tell from the color in her daughter's cheeks that something must have happened.

"Last night, while I was following a nurse to you… I saw a patient… that-" She stopped talking and her mother warmly smiled.

Sabine's heart grew warm and she reached over and touched her chin, raising Marinette's face, so that her blue eyes looked into her dark ones. "Fate has a funny way of leading you where you need to go."

Marinette gasped for a moment and let the tears fall. "He was in a coma, maman. For six years. I gave his ring back and he just woke up." She sniffed and her mother hummed with closed eyes in bliss. "And I don't know if I'm good enough. I don't know if this whole thing is too crazy? Am I crazy? Am I good enough?"

"Marinette." Sabine interrupted her and made her come back to reality. "He came to you for a reason. You have history together and if _YOU_ woke _HIM_ up after...SIX… years? Then you are certainly good enough. But who am I to judge?" Sabine sat back in the bed and let her hand drop from her daughter's chin. "I'm your mother. I'll love you no matter what. Whether you attract spirits or not. You're still my first love."

Marinette sighed and thought about it for a moment. She really should just ask him what he thought of her, if anything at all. They had just started talking in person, technically.

Her mother broke her thoughts. "But, I'd say he needs you more than me right now, love. So, why are you with me and not him?"

Her words shocked her and she let the last tear fall down her cheek. " _Needs_ me?"

"Well, the man didn't wake up for six years until you came along? I'd say he needs you. Besides, I'm healing just fine." Sabine smiled with all of her heart and picked her book back up.

Marinette suddenly realized that she was worth it. That he needed her back then and he did now. "Thank you, maman!" She hugged her mother and kissed her cheek. Sabine giggled, as her daughter ran out of the hospital door and down the hall.

By the time Marinette got back to his room, his father was gone and so was his assistant.

She opened the door and his eyes lit up at seeing her. "I thought... you were gone." Adrien looked at her and she could tell his eyes were red from being upset.

"I'm sorry. I thought you'd want to be with your father alone." Marinette quickly sat beside him again and took his hand in hers.

"No, it's fine. He- hmm." Adrien didn't know how to explain the stoic man. His father was more into his brand than into him, but most people thought that he was just as obsessed with his work. Seeing as how he would do photoshoots every other day. "He's got his- own… plans? My father- does what- he wants… From what- I've been told… he hasn't been here- for- years…"

Marinette's eyes went wide and she remembered the nurse saying that he had had no visitors for years. That he'd been alone aside from the nurses coming to take care of him or talk to him. But he had never reacted to them. She bit her nails in thought. _Was she worth it?_

"Marinette?" Adrien cleared his throat as he watched her lose herself in her thoughts. He weakly raised his hand to touch her wrist and pulled her fingers from her mouth. He gently brought her knuckles to his lips and pressed kisses along them. "I can't- read... your mind- anymore. What's going on?"

She took a deep breath and gave in. "Am I worth it?" The question took him back and his smile faded.

Adrien didn't say anything for a moment and it made her heart sink. He kept her hand in his and his eyes never left her gaze. A smile soon appeared again and he pulled her towards him, the best he could. She lost her balance and fell onto his bed. She caught herself with her palm on the bed. Her lips brushed against his and she gasped. He parted his lips against hers and he swept his tongue along her bottom lip. She sighed into the kiss and met his warm tongue with her own. She crawled into his bed and held his face in her hands and he gently cradled her in his arms. He didn't want to let her go. Everything about her felt right and perfect and amazing. He sighed and groaned against her passionate kisses, as the heart monitor sped up. Adrien pulled away first and softly touched her cheek with his fingertips. "I've been waiting… for you." He coughed away from her into his bicep and she smiled warmly at him. "You're worth... everything... to me."

"You need to rest and not send your heart monitor into a frenzy. You're gonna worry the nurses." Marinette giggled as the beeping slowed down.

He smiled up at her and she got lost in his enchanting forest hued eyes. The colors reminded her of sunlight breaking through a lush tree's canopy. "If my tests… go well… I'll be moved to- the general- ward and… not here…" He softly spoke and she smiled at him.

"That's great to hear." Marinette bit her bottom lip and he drew circles in her back. "You're recovering fast."

"So they tell- me." Adrien smirked at her and kissed the top of her head. "All thanks… to you."

"I don't know if it's all to me… This hospital has great medical staff and they seem to have kept you alive-" Marinette trailed on and Adrien touched her chin, bringing her gaze to meet his.

"Sleeping… for six years? Is not living, Ladybug." Adrien sighed and her eyes shook at the thought. "It's- hell…"

Marinette buried her face into his hospital gown and cried. He held her loosely in his arms, still having issues with his strength but it was enough for her. Anything was enough for her from this man. It didn't matter if he was just talking or even just near her… She felt like she belonged. Like she was supposed to be with him. "Tell me all about you." Marinette sniffed and drew lines on his palm.

Adrien sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "My father is-" He trailed on and on about the model industry and the brand. About when he was a child and his mother would sneak him things. How he had a big house and a nice car, but they meant nothing to him. How he had a black bombay cat named, Plagg, and a reddish-orange tabby cat named, Tikki. How he still worked for his father, but since he had moved out… he was less controlled. How they would meet for lunch at fancy restaurants and discuss business because he was supposed to take on the company one day. Also, how much he didn't want to do that. By the end of it she had gone through every emotion, from laughing to crying and so had he.

A knock came to the door and Adrien told them to come in. Sabine stood in the doorway with Tom helping her walk. Her I.V was on a stand. "The nurse told me it'd be beneficial to walk around a bit and since someone told me about a certain man… I thought I'd meet him." She smiled and stepped inside with Tom's support.

Marinette climbed out of his bed and he cleared his throat. "Hello, I'm-" He weakly held up his hand and Sabine chose to hug him instead.

"Adrien. I know. My daughter told me all about you. Seems like you have an interesting history with my daughter." Sabine smiled at him and let him go. "Thank you."

"For what?" Adrien was surprised that she had said that to him.

"For loving my daughter and getting her through these past few weeks." Sabine smiled and touched his shoulder. "I think you made it easier on her."

"Maman!" Marinette groaned and warmth invaded her cheeks as embarrassment kicked in.

"Hi, I'm Tom." Her father walked over and shook his hand. "It's nice to meet you."

"Nice- to meet- you too." Adrien smiled up at him and both of her parents searched from Marinette to Adrien.

"Well, we just stopped by to say hi. It was nice to meet you." Sabine smiled and tapped Tom on the arm to signal for them to continue their walk.

"Come by the bakery, anytime." Tom warmly smiled and lead his wife out of the room.

Marinette sighed and slumped into the chair and gently laughed. "Sorry, my parents can be a bit-"

"Lovely?" Adrien sighed with a warm smile and Marinette noticed the color coming back to his cheeks.

"Lovely?" Marinette searched his glazed over eyes.

"Your parents- are wonderful. They really… care about you." Adrien smiled and looked away when his smile faded to an expression of sadness. "My mother- would have- loved… you."

Marinette worried her bottom lip and was about to say something when another knock sounded. He told them to come in and soon a doctor was inside the room.

"Can I speak to Monsieur Agreste a moment?" The doctor smiled at Marinette and she went to stand up to leave with a nod, but Adrien clamped down on her wrist.

"I'd prefer- if- she stayed, please?" Adrien sighed and the doctor shrugged.

Marinette stood out of the way, on the other side of his bed and laced her fingers with his, as the doctor pulled the curtain around them.

"I'm assuming by now you've figured out what happened. According to witnesses at the scene of the accident. You were walking across the parking lot and crossed the street without looking and were hit." The doctor moved the blanket out of the way and tested his reflexes. "You broke most of your bones in your legs, but they healed nicely after the surgery. You also had a minor skull fracture from hitting the ground and of course you did fall into a coma, shortly after. We've been having a physical therapist come in to move your arms and legs to help your body stay healthy. Our goal was to keep you as comfortable and as healthy as we could, while you were asleep." He took his stethoscope from around his neck and helped him sit up in the bed. Marinette touched his shoulder, while the doctor listened to his heart beat. He went about checking his temperature, blood pressure, and pupil dilation. "If your blood work comes back with the numbers we like to see… I don't see you staying in this ICU much longer, Monsieur Agreste. You seem to be recovering wonderfully."

The doctor leaned him back down with Marinette's help and put the blankets back over his legs. "I'd say you'll need some occupational and physical therapy, but it shouldn't be too long till your back on your feet." He patted his shoulder with a smile. "Anything else I can do for you? Questions? Concerns?"

"When can I… try to walk?" Adrien looked up at him and the doctor sighed.

"Let's just work on getting you unhooked from everything first." He smiled at him and gripped his shoulder. "You should start out with some rest and eating a liquid diet for now. It's been awhile since you've eaten proper food and we want to start you off slow with bland foods."

Adrien sighed and nodded. "Alright."

"But- if you are doing well tomorrow… I don't see why you couldn't try to stand and walk a couple steps." Adrien grew excited and Marinette couldn't be more hopeful for him. "I will be honest with you and tell you that it won't be easy and you'll probably need a bit of physical therapy to be where you were at before."

"Sounds good. Thank you." Adrien smiled and the doctor left the room with a nod.

A nurse came in shortly after and began to change out all of the bags that were connected to him. She checked the I.V site and asked if he needed anything, before she left again.

"You might get to walk tomorrow." Marinette grew excited for him.

"Well, try." Adrien chuckled and a blush came to his cheeks. "Might be more- of... falling."

"And I'll always be there to catch you, Chaton." Marinette leaned down and pressed her lips to his and he sighed as she tangled her fingers into his hair.

 **Note: From what I have found through research is that comas are never really the same. It seems like no matter the time duration... the outcome is different and depends on the patient. The only time I've experienced anything to do with comas in real life is that this year I had a coworker and an amazing friend and woman slip into one. She didn't make it and her daughter chose to pull her from life support because her mother had told us and her that if she was going to go... let her go. :) We're all still sad that we lost an amazing woman. Anyway, just thought I'd put a disclaimer that if any of this is wrong... I'm sorry. I can find a bunch on WW1, but it's hard to find much on comas. haha**


	7. Chapter 7: light nsfw

Marinette laid on the couch in his room with a blanket over her. She woke up to whining and the sounds of shivering. Marinette looked over towards Adrien's bed and saw him clutching the blankets to his chin. She stood up and took his hand, while she placed the back of her other hand on his forehead. He didn't feel feverish, so it confused her.

She gently ran her fingers through his soft hair and he shivered again before he stilled. He slowly opened his eyes and she instantly understood by his relieved expression. She rubbed the back of his hand and smiled at him. "Vivid dream?"

Adrien nodded and gestured for the water cup. Marinette walked around to grab it. "About me?" She helped him drink and he cleared his throat.

"Yeah. Well- no." Adrien worried his bottom lip. It was more him. Dying alone in a hospital. Tears fell from his eyes and she caught them with her thumbs.

"You know you're okay right? You're in a hospital with good people that have kept you healthy and alive. You're living now." Marinette smiled warmly at him and pressed soft kisses to his cheeks. "You just have to stay strong and get through this. You'll walk again. I'm sure of it."

Adrien sighed and decided to admit something that he was too afraid of saying earlier. "It's not... a fear... of not walking… It's... the fear- of never- waking up again. Of being... back in that coma. Of... losing you." He shivered more and Marinette sighed with a warm smile.

"You're not going to slip back into a coma. You have to think of the positives. Tomorrow you're going to stand up and you're gonna take a step. I know you can do it." Marinette nodded with determination and he chuckled at her.

"I still say- I'm gonna... fall." Adrien moved his toes and then tried to flex his feet. He focused on a leg and Marinette watched him slightly move it, but it quickly exhausted him.

"I mean you can move your legs… so that's a good sign." Marinette smiled at him and kissed him on the forehead. "But for now you need to just relax and try to sleep. I promise you'll wake up. And when you do? I'll be right here." She turned to lay back on the couch, but he held her there by her hand.

"Please. Stay." Adrien looked up at her with worried green eyes and she sighed.

"I don't want to accidentally pull out something. I'm clumsy. Plus… I don't know if they appreciate me in your bed with you around here. And they're bound to check on you perio-" Before she could finish the door opened and a nurse came in.

"He's awake, I see." She spoke with a soothing voice and Marinette smiled.

"Yep." She clenched his hand and patted the back of it with her hand.

"Couldn't sleep." Adrien smiled at the nurse and she changed out the I.V bag and checked everything else, marking stuff on a chart.

"Well, you seem to be doing alright and your girl has been a big help around here in the last few hours. Between helping her mother and coming to help with you." The nurse nodded towards Marinette like she was amazing.

"Your- mother?" Adrien searched her eyes. "I never asked you."

"She got into an accident. It's okay." Marinette waved it off. "She's okay. You just saw her." She softly laughed and brushed his hair from his eyes.

"Hopefully, we can start unhooking you from some of this tomorrow. Get you up and standing, maybe. If you're up to it. We'll play it by ear. Baby steps. If I'm honest... you'll probably have to do a few smaller movements before you take a step, but I'm willing to let you try to stand." The nurse smiled at them and put her pen back into her pocket. "Anything you need?"

"Another blanket?" Marinette smiled at her. Although, what she really wished for was some yarn so that she could just knit him a blanket while she was sitting around the hospital. Maybe when she went home to grab some of her things… she could bring her knitting supplies there.

"Sure thing." The nurse walked over and checked his water pitcher. "I'll bring some more water and some ice." She left the room and Marinette sighed.

"Now can you lay with me for a moment?" Adrien worried his bottom lip and she warmly smiled. His breathing tubes laid across his chest and off to the side and an I.V line ran in the opposite direction. Another line ran out at the foot of his bed. She had laid with him before, but now it all seemed dangerous. Like she could pull something and it'd hurt him. Earlier she was too lost in seeing him to care if he was hooked up to things, but now she was really seeing him and how his body had changed. Not that she really knew him before this, but she could tell that he had lost some muscle and was weak.

Marinette worried her lip. "Can I look at your legs?" Adrien gave her a curious expression.

"My legs?" Adrien repeated her words and she nodded.

"They were shattered in the accident and then you had surgery to fix them… And it's been six years and I don't know why I think it would make me realize how bad it is or why I feel like I need this validation. I mean the coma should be enough. You laying here... should be enough. I- I mean it's okay if you don't want me to...I understand. I would-" Marinette was cut off by the nurse returning with the pitcher, ice, and blanket.

"Here you are. Anything else?" The nurse smiled at them and she smiled in return.

"Merci." Adrien smiled at the woman and swallowed hard. "We're fine."

"Call me if you need anything else." She left them alone again with a warm smile.

Once the nurse left, Marinette turned her attention back to him with a blush. "I'm so sorry for asking such a silly question. You probably think I'm weird." She awkwardly giggled and rubbed the back of her neck. "I mean who… asks to se-"

"Marinette?" Adrien raised an eyebrow and broke her from her reverie.

"Hm?" She searched his eyes and focused on them.

"Yes, you can- look at them. I... understand. If it makes you feel better…" Adrien took a deep breath and Marinette hesitated before she grabbed the edge of the blanket and inched it up.

His legs were thin and pale. They hadn't lost all of their muscle but they were thin enough. His shin bones had begun to stand out against his soft skin. Small scars ran along key points where the wires and bolts had gone through to set his bones in place to heal. Tears filled her eyes and she ran her hand along one of them. "I'm so sorry you ended up like this. I feel like it's all my fault." She burst into tears and put the blanket back over his legs.

"Come here." Adrien sighed and tried to not cry with her. She didn't need to cry for him. She didn't even need to be near him and he felt selfish hurting her like he was.

She crawled in beside him, being careful of the wires and tubes. He weakly held her and softly whispered against her hair. "I'm sorry. For making you- cry… making you- stay…"

Marinette popped her head up and looked at him with shocked bluebell eyes. "No. No you don't get to apologize for something that isn't your fault. You weren't the idiot in that vehicle." She wiped her eyes with the backs of her hands and leaned over him with all of the care in the world.

He searched from one of her eyes to the other and she took that as a signal. She bent down and pressed her lips to his and melted into the kiss. She couldn't stop wanting to kiss him. Wanting to touch him. Wanting to be held by him. He intoxicated her and made her feel like she was his whole world.

She broke the kiss and smiled at him the best she could. "Now, please get some rest."

He nodded with a sigh and slowly closed his eyes, trying to get comfortable, as Marinette got up to grab the extra blanket. She unfolded it and put it over him. She ran her fingers through his hair and he softly hummed with a smile. Something about caring for people put her at ease and gave her comfort. She always loved to help people. To make people happy.

Marinette woke up and stretched her arms over her head.

She peered over to see Adrien laying in the bed with the curtain around his bed and she could see that they were working on him. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on what they were talking about. As far as, she knew they were talking about downsizing his breathing tube since he was breathing on his own pretty well. Marinette assumed they were in the process of doing that for him. She sighed and tried to ignore the sounds and rolled over to face towards the couch. She heard the curtain move and the sound of plastic being crumpled and thrown away, along with the sounds of gloves. The door closed and she turned over to look at him.

"Morning." Marinette smiled at him and he cleared his throat with a wince.

"Mor-ning." Adrien weakly spoke with a smile. Marinette sat up on the couch and looked him over. She didn't notice much of a difference.

"Anything new?" Marinette yawned and stood up to walk over to him.

"They downsized my breathing support. About it. If I can breathe with just this for twenty-four hours… I can have it removed." Adrien sighed and swallowed. Each swallow felt impeded and it annoyed him to no end.

"So, you're not getting it removed today?" Marinette raised his hand and rubbed her cheek against it.

"Doesn't- seem like it. But... I did-have the- nasal one- removed... so that's... a bonus." Adrien laughed, causing him to cough. That hadn't even registered to her yet. She was too distracted by her thoughts and everything else.

He flexed his fingers in her hand with a warm smile. "I also get to fold a piece of paper today and… maybe try to stand." He was excited about standing, but also worried. He didn't want to look like an idiot in front of her or be seen as weak.

"Adrien. I see that expression on your face." Marinette pressed a chaste kiss on his lips. "I'll just be proud of you if you try to stand. You don't have to do much to impress me. I admire the fact that you're alive."

Adrien looked away from her with a saddened expression. "I just don't want you to see me as weak or as someone that can't protect you because I'm stuck in this bed still."

Marinette touched his chin and turned his head to face her. "You can never make me believe that you couldn't protect me. You'll get there again. Promise." She rubbed his jaw with her thumb and he closed his eyes.

"Are we ready to fold a piece of paper today?" A physical therapist came in with a bright smile. "Then we can see if you can stand. How's that sound?"

"Amazing." Adrien sighed and she walked over to him and pat his shoulder. Marinette smiled and watched the therapist pass him a plain piece of paper.

She began folding it in half and he slowly followed her. His hands shook and he furrowed his brow in concentration. His folds were weak, but he still did it. "HEY… you did it!" The therapist congratulated him and took the paper from him. "That may be record time for people in your state so far. Well, really all of your recovery so far has been faster than I've experienced, Monsieur Agreste."

Adrien smiled at her and lightly coughed. The breathing tube was annoying and he just wanted it gone. He felt like all it did was get in the way. "When can we try standing?" He smiled at her and his enthusiasm showed through his expressions.

"Right now, if you like." She smiled and looked over to Marinette. "If your girl wants to help me, that is. Don't expect to walk, but we can try standing first."

"I would love to help." Marinette softly smiled and the physical therapist sat his bed up. She pulled the I.V stand around the bed to his side, making sure to move the tube along with it. Then she hooked the other bag at the end of his bed to the stand to free him from the bed enough to let him get up.

"Okay can you swing your legs over the edge of the bed? We'll help you." She looked at Marinette and Adrien put his hands behind himself and weakly pushed, sliding his legs along the bed. The physical therapist made sure to move all of his tubes out of the way and Marinette touched his shoulder and helped him get to the edge of the side of the bed.

He cleared his throat as his feet touched the cool tile flooring. A shiver ran through him. He hadn't touched the floor in years. "Are you ready? Now, I'm going to support this side of you… If you'll just help him on the other side." She smiled at her and Marinette nodded.

"I feel like a child." Adrien tried to make a light joke about his situation to try and quell his embarrassment. He walked runways with ease before this accident and now here he was depending on people to help him stand.

"At least you're a cute one, Chaton." Marinette winked at him and both of them burst out laughing. Adrien began coughing, but it calmed down quickly.

"Alright, ready?" The therapist giggled and held beneath his arm and his hand. Marinette copied her and Adrien braced himself. "I'm gonna count to three and on three… you try to stand. 1-2...3"

Adrien pushed all of his energy into his thighs and feet. He stood on wobbly legs for a few minutes before he couldn't anymore. Marinette and the therapist eased him back onto the bed.

"Wanna try again and maybe do a step?" She smiled up at him and Marinette's heart grew at just seeing him stand. She didn't realize how tall he was until he had stood. He had to be about six feet tall, maybe a few inches taller. He was a whole foot taller than her.

"Yes." Adrien smiled and they braced again while he stood.

"Ready? One step." The therapist smiled up at him and Marinette gave him the brightest smile with blushing cheeks.

"You got this." Marinette cheered him on and he slowly moved one foot in front of the other. Determination filling his veins and causing him to push himself more.

He took another shaky step with a smile and before he knew it, he had taken three before he got tired. They helped him back to the bed and he sat down again.

"I got to say… I'm impressed." The therapist wrote something on his chart. "I think that's enough for today. We'll try again tomorrow." She smiled and Marinette helped him to sit back in the bed.

The therapist moved his I.V stand back and put the other stuff back where they were. Marinette covered him with the blanket again.

The therapist left with the folded paper and Marinette looked into Adrien's eyes like he was the most amazing person in the world. "You're amazing, you know that?"

Adrien was taken aback by her compliment. "Why?"

"You just took not one step, but three! And then you had the energy to get back to your bed. I'd say that's pretty amazing." She bent down and pressed her lips to his. "Amazing as always."

Adrien sighed, "I just- want- all of this shit- unattached from- me.". He gestured to everything that was hooked up to him. He felt trapped and it was no better than being held accountable by his father to make appearances places.

"I don't blame you. I'd find it frustrating too." Marinette let him vent about his tubes and wires.

"Twenty-four hours, Adrien. Then if you're breathing as good as you are now? It'll be gone and if you're walking well enough, so will some of the other stuff. I'm sure of it." She smiled at him and placed a kiss on his forehead. "You just have to make it twenty- four hours. That's tiny compared to six years, kitty."

"Kitty?" Adrien smirked at her new nickname for him. "So, I'm a- kitty now?"

"You remind me of one when you curl up in the blankets." Marinette giggled and he rolled his eyes. "Plus, it's fitting for you."

Adrien laughed and curled his fingers weakly around the blanket. "Okay. Kitty it is."

Marinette smiled at him and bent down to kiss him on the lips again.

A knock came to the door and Marinette looked up to see her father. "You're maman is being discharged tomorrow." Tom smiled at them.

Marinette felt instant relief that her mother was truly okay. "She is?" Tears touched the corners of her eyes as her father happily nodded.

"She is." Tom smiled at her. "Anyway, I'm going to go back to her now."

Marinette searched from Adrien to her father. She was torn between the two. She wanted to see her mother, but she didn't want to leave Adrien.

Adrien sighed as Marinette let her father walk away. "Marinette." He gently touched her chin and turned her head to face him. "Go see your mother. I'll be here."

Marinette bit her bottom lip and her eyes shook. "I'm just so happy that she's okay. I feel so lucky that you both are okay."

Adrien warmly smiled at her. "Yes, lovebug, we're okay. Now, go." He tried to pull her down to him and she understood. She leaned down, closing the space between them and brushed her soft lips against his.

"I'll be back." Marinette smiled at him and got up from his bed. She walked to his door and stopped in the doorway, looking at him with a warm smile. "I promise, I'll be back."

Adrien weakly waved to her and a nurse walked in right after her to check on his fluid levels and his monitors.

Marinette walked into her mother's room and smiled at her. "I heard you're getting discharged tomorrow."

Sabine smiled at her daughter. "I am. Come, tell me about Adrien some more." She pat the bed beside her.

"He stood today and took a few steps. I was so happy for him. They also..." Marinette sat down and got lost in his green eyes and charming smile.

Sabine was consumed in her daughter's story. "You really love him don't you?" She finally spoke once her daughter stopped rambling.

Marinette jumped at her words and squeaked, "What?"

"You love him." Sabine repeated herself and giggled behind her hand.

"I-" Marinette had never thought about it. It just was what it was to her. She hadn't labeled her emotion towards him.

"I can see it too, love." Tom warmly smiled at his daughter. "I saw it from the first time I saw you together."

"Well, I saw it when you first spoke of that spirit. Plus he was there when I rolled." Sabine nudged her elbow towards Tom and her husband laughed.

"L- love?" Marinette let the word play on her tongue and she thought about everything from day one of her seeing that ring. Everything from when years later she had picked it up. From hearing him play piano to him touching her. From seeing him in the hospital as some sick twist of fate brought her to him on his last day. How he had gone to comfort her mother after the accident. She covered her mouth and her eyes went wide, as tears fell. _She loved him. Truly loved him._ "I'll be back." She stood up and ran out the door, leaving Tom and Sabine to 'aww' in unison.

Marinette raced to Adrien's room and caught herself with the doorframe. She knocked on the door and he told her to come in. She closed the door behind her with trembling hands and he raised an eyebrow at her. "What's wrong, Marinette?"

"My maman made me realize something. I was so naive and dumb and- and blind." She walked up to him with purpose. "I should have seen it sooner. I should have said it sooner. I- I don't know what's come over me."

"What- are you- talking about?" Adrien cleared his throat and watched her pace.

"I saw that ring six years ago. Six years ago. I waited three years and it was still there so I bought it. When you showed up… you annoyed me to pieces… but I became obsessed with you. I missed you when you were gone. I dreamed about you. I always wanted you to stay and when you'd leave… I'd get sad. When my mother got in that accident after I had found out what had happened to you… it was like some cruel version of fate that I saw you on your last day. I-" Marinette let tears fall from her eyes and she sat on the edge of his bed and took his hand into hers. She brought it to her cheek and he turned his palm to brush his thumb below her eye to catch a tear. "I-" She couldn't get the words out.

"Marinette. Come here, baby." Adrien smiled at her and she curled up beside him with her arm wrapped around him. He whispered into her hair. "I've loved you- since- I saw you- in my dreams. If... that's- what you're- trying- to say. Say it, because... I've been- dying... to say it- to you."

Marinette looked up at him with parted lips. "I love you. I love you so much it hurts."

"Then show me. Because I don't- know- how much longer... I can hold back- from loving you." Adrien searched her eyes with his and she swallowed hard.

She sat up more and searched his emerald eyes before she crashed her lips down to his. He weakly slid his hand up her inner thigh and she gasped as he softly trailed his fingers along the seam of her jeans. He smirked at her and peered into her bluebell eyes with heavily lidded green ones. She bit her bottom lip, as he circled her clit through the thin fabric. He slowly moved his other hand to pull her back down into a sultry kiss to quiet her soft mewls. "Shh…" He ran his tongue along hers and she panted into his kiss as he kept a rhythm going. She undid the button on her jeans for him and slid them past her hips. She kicked her pants off and pulled the blanket around her. She lowered her hips to his hand to help him. She captured his lips with hers and softly mewled. He slid his fingers beneath her panties as she begged for more in whispers. Adrien trailed his fingers along her wet folds and dipped his middle finger into her warm core. She coated his finger and he brought them back up to her swollen clit, circling it more until she was kissing him harder and with more frantic movements. His hand was getting tired, but he didn't care. He wanted her to say his name the way she had before.

"Adrien…" Marinette sighed and he slipped his finger back into her and she shivered and cried out. He quickly caught her lips again to silence her as she rode out her orgasm against his hand, grinding and rolling her hips.

Marinette panted and collapsed beside him. She didn't care if anyone saw or heard his monitors speed up. She didn't care if anyone heard her. She only cared about this man in the bed and all she wanted to do was see him get out of there so they could go on dates and live a life together.

"Move in with me." Adrien sighed and looked at her with an expression full of love.

"What?" Marinette was taken aback, lost in her post orgasmic bliss.

"You heard me. Move in with me." Adrien chuckled at her and she raised his hand up to her lips and kissed his palm.

"Move in with you?" Marinette's heart filled with love and happiness.

"Yes. I love you, Marinette." Adrien sighed and waited for her to answer him.

"I would love to move in with you. I love you… Adrien." Marinette sighed, put her jeans back on, and laid back down beside him, letting her eyes close.

Adrien chuckled and lightly ran his fingers through her medium length dark hair as he heard her softly fall asleep. She had been through a lot and he was just happy to have her next to him.


	8. Chapter 8

It had been a while and Adrien was finally being discharged from the hospital. Sabine had gone back to help Tom with the boulangerie and patisserie. Marinette hummed a song while packing up Adrien's stuff. Adrien shrugged on a clean white shirt. Marinette smiled and bent down at his feet to help him put his orange converse shoes on.

"Thanks, Bugaboo." Adrien grazed his fingers beneath her chin, causing her to look up into his sparkling green eyes.

"Anytime, Chaton." Marinette smiled and stood up after tying his laces.

"Are you ready to go home, Monsieur Agreste?" The nurse smiled at him, pushing a wheelchair into the room.

"More than ready. You have no idea." Adrien sighed with a warm smile. Marinette took his hand and he slowly stood up. The nurse pushed the chair close to him and he grabbed a hold of the arm and slowly eased himself into the chair. Marinette kissed him on the cheek as soon as he got comfortable.

"I love you." Marinette let his hand slowly fall from her palm.

"I love you too." Adrien smiled up at her and the nurse pulled his wheelchair back, before she turned it towards the door.

Marinette grabbed his clear bag of belongings and followed them out of the room and down the hallways. Adrien said good-bye to the doctors and nurses along the way that had come by to say their parting words.

A silver car waited outside and Adrien sighed. "Who's that?" Marinette raised an eyebrow at him.

"Gorilla." Adrien groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Of course, my father would send him to take me home." Adrien hated being driven around by his bodyguard. He didn't even use him that often.

"Gorilla?" Marinette questioned him and watched a man with broad shoulders and a grey suit step out of the car. He walked around and opened the back door.

"Thank you for everything." Adrien smiled over his shoulder at the nurse and Marinette helped him stand. She held his hand and placed her other hand on his upper back. He made his way to the car and he held onto the doorframe to climb in.

"So, I guess I'll see you at your apartment later?" Marinette awkwardly blushed. She felt weird about impeding on his ride. Suddenly, she felt like she didn't belong in his world again.

"Gorilla?" Adrien held Marinette where she was and her eyes went wide. The bodyguard grunted and Adrien peered over at the intimidating man. "Please send someone to pick up Marinette's car. She'll be riding with me instead." Adrien turned to face Marinette and winked.

His bodyguard opened up his phone and texted someone. Adrien assumed it was Nathalie. He then pulled her towards him and she stumbled and fell into his lap. He pulled her until she was sitting on the other side of him and closed the door. They fastened their seat belts and Marinette chewed on her nail as her nerves got the best of her.

"Do you have your keys?" Adrien held out his hand and she dug for her car keys in her purse. She pulled them out and handed them to Adrien. A ladybug keychain dangled from them and he burst out laughing.

"What?" Marinette was thrown off by his sudden outburst.

"I should have known you would have a ladybug keychain." Adrien slowly stopped laughing.

Marinette pursed her lips and pouted with her arms crossed across her chest. "I happen to like ladybugs."

"Oh, so do I." Adrien leaned into her ear and whispered in a dark sultry voice. "And I'm about to really… enjoy one."

Marinette gasped and clenched her thighs together as she felt her panties get wet at his words. She relaxed and she looked through her lashes, leaning into him. She slid her hand up his thigh and ran her hand to his inner thigh and up until her hand felt the bulge in his jeans. She licked his ear and nibbled on his ear lobe. She spoke with a sweet tone that sent shivers down his spine. "I think I owe a certain kitty, a lot… for what he did to me." She flicked his earlobe with her tongue and he groaned.

Gorilla turned away and threw the dark partition up between them. Marinette took notice of the black screen going up and she smirked. She trailed kisses along his neck and palmed him through his tight jeans. "Oh God…" Adrien sighed and his lips parted while his cheeks flushed. "I'm not gonna last long, Marinette."

Marinette ignored him and unbuckled her belt. She slid her hand up his stomach, up his chest, and crawled into his lap, straddling him. She captured his lips with hers and bit his bottom lip. She tugged on it while she held his shoulders and rolled her hips against him and he gripped her hips like his life depended on it. "Go easy on me, lovebug. It's been six years." He barely got the words out as she plunged her tongue between his lips. He moaned and tangled his fingers into her hair, kissing her like she was his world. She broke the kiss and he gasped as she slid down to the floor in front of him. "What are you doi-" His words were lost when she grabbed his jeans and yanked him forward. He helped her and slumped in the seat. His emerald eyes caught hers and he bit his bottom lip as she undid his jeans.

Marinette giggled and hooked her fingertips into his boxers and jeans, pulling them down his hips. Adrien shifted and he sprang free. Precum glistened on the tip of his hard cock and Marinette slowly ran her tongue along the slit. He tasted sweet and salty. She let out a soft mewl.

"Shit…" Adrien hissed and tilted his head back as she wrapped her lips around his swollen head. He groaned and gripped her hair in his fingers. "Fuck…" Adrien rolled his hips as she slowly slid more of him into her mouth. He let out a low groan and sank further down in the seat.

She ran her tongue along the bottom of his cock and sucked hard as she bobbed her head up and down along him. She brought her lips to the tip and circled her tongue around his head again. He shuttered and groaned louder. He tilted his head down and slowly opened his eyes with parted lips and glowing emerald eyes. "I- I can't- I'm gonna-" He panted and rocked his hips and she kept up with him.

She looked up at him with babydoll blue eyes and kept her pace up. He clenched his eyes shut, his muscles tensed, as he felt himself going over the edge within moments. Marinette moaned, causing vibrations to go through his aching cock. It was enough to break him. He cried out with her name on his lips and trembling wide spread thighs. She kept moaning in response to the sounds he was making. His heady noises were enough to make her come undone. She slid her fingers beneath her jeans and started circling her own clit, while he watched her with satisfied eyes. She swallowed and let him go. He grazed his fingers beneath her chin and brought her eyes to look up at him. She watched him through her lashes and bit her bottom lip, before she parted her lips into a soft mewl. Marinette slipped her hand back out with a protesting whimper.

"God you're sexy." Adrien sighed and grabbed her, pulling her into his lap. He brushed her hair out of the way and nibbled and sucked on her pulse point. She moaned and ran her hand along him, causing him to get hard for her again. "Hang on, we're almost to my apartment, Bugaboo." Adrien spoke with a low smooth canter that made Marinette whimper some more and kept her fingers working on him. He growled and bit down on her neck and she cried out. "You keep doing that and I'll cum again." He groaned into her ear.

Marinette softly mewled at his words and slowly let him go from her fingertips. He situated his pants back in place. She clung to him and rolled her hips, begging for him to end her suffering. He ran his hand up her side and cupped her breast, while his other hand sat on her hip. He caressed her round breast through her thin top and ran his thumb over her peaked nipple. He lifted her shirt and moved her lace bralette out of the way, wrapping his lips around her pink nipple. He sucked and flicked the tip with his tongue and she cried out, arching her back and crushing her breast to his mouth for more. Adrien peered out the window and let her nipple go from his lips and tongue. "A little further, Marinette." He went back to lavishing her soft breast.

Marinette mewled and pulled away from him as the car slowed down. He put her bralette back in place, pulled her shirt back down, and she slipped off of his lap. He adjusted his hips and cleared his throat. Gorilla walked around and opened the door for Adrien. Adrien grabbed the doorframe and eased his legs out. Marinette climbed out the other side and took his hand with a smile. "I can do it. You don't have to go out of your way to help me." Adrien rolled his eyes at her.

"Just stop. I don't mind and you know you can't walk perfectly still." Marinette rolled her eyes back. "You're a stubborn kitty, you know that?"

"So, I've been told." He smirked at her and she put his arm around her shoulders and wrapped her arm around his waist. Adrien gave in as Marinette took him to the doorman of the apartment.

"Welcome back Monsieur Agreste." The doorman tipped his hat to him.

"Merci, Monsieur Blanc." Adrien smiled at him and the doorman opened the door for them.

Marinette walked him to the elevator and they went up to the top floor. The more she noticed little things about the place he lived and how he had a driver and bodyguard… the more she realized that he might be out of her league.

"What's wrong?" Adrien peered down at her, leaning back on the rail with his palms and one foot crossed over the other.

Marinette sighed, "I feel like you have this amazing life and yet here I am… a baker's daughter that is struggling through art school, trying to be a designer... I feel like you can do so much better." She looked down ashamed with her admission.

"Marinette." Adrien touched her chin and brought her gaze to his own. "You are amazing. I went looking for you because I was having the most vivid dreams about you. I couldn't imagine myself with anyone but you. You truly saved me." He pulled the locket from his pocket and fastened it around her neck. "This belongs to you and only you. No one and I mean NO ONE can ever take your place. Who else would risk life and limb to save me from gunfire." He used the rail and turned his body to face her. He pinned her to the elevator wall and raised her face with his thumb and forefinger. He crashed his lips down onto hers and she held his wrists and moaned. "No one can love me like you can. No one has cared for me like you have. Like you are now. I promise you, Marinette. There is NO ONE like you."

She grabbed his face and pulled him even closer, kissing him harder. Marinette gripped his hair and he parted his lips, letting her slide her tongue along his. The elevator opened and they stumbled out of it in heated kisses. Adrien's legs were still weak and he fell into the wall, using it to catch himself.

Marinette giggled and stopped kissing him. "Room first then reckless abandon."

Adrien chuckled and nodded as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She helped him to his door and he unlocked it. Two cats came trotting over happily mewing. Marinette got Adrien to the couch and she crouched down to pet the cats. She brushed her hair behind her ear and spoke to them in a cute tone that made Adrien's heart melt.

"Who took care of them?" Marinette closed the front door and locked it. She went on a search for their food bowls and water.

"Probably Nathalie." Adrien sighed and watched her move about his apartment. "Their bowls are in the kitchen!"

Marinette stepped into his kitchen and her eyes lit up at the sight of the room. It was white tiled with stainless steel countertops and deep grey cabinets. The utensil holder and towels brought neon green accents to the room. Black cat paintings hung on the walls and he had two ovens. She was in kitchen heaven.

"Enjoying the kitchen?" Adrien's deep voice echoed through the room and Marinette turned around in surprise. He was leaning against the doorway for support. Marinette found the cats dishes and water. They were empty and she looked around at all of the cabinets at a loss. "Top right. Next to the fridge." Adrien nodded towards one of the cabinets and Marinette walked over and opened them.

"Thank you." She smiled over at him and pulled the food down to fill the bowls. The sound of dry food hitting the ceramic dishes attracted both Plagg and Tikki. They ran in and immediately began eating.

Marinette reached up on her tiptoes to put the cat food back when arms wrapped around her waist. She hummed and closed her eyes as Adrien placed chaste kisses along her neck. "Are you gonna feed those two or a very… very… needy Chat Noir?"

She suddenly turned around in his arms, wrapped her hands behind his neck, and pulled him down to her. She hungrily pressed her lips against his and he pulled her close by the small of her back. Her hands slid down from his neck, to his shoulders, before they finally rested on his chest. Adrien moaned against her advances and took her hand after he broke the kiss. "C'mon. I'll give you a tour."

"By tour you mean… really short right?" Marinette pulled on the collar of his shirt and he laughed.

"Whatever you want, Bugaboo." Adrien lead her down a hallway and opened a door. It opened up to a massive master bedroom. The walls were a deep navy and the bed frame was upholstered in black leather. His comforter was white and the rug beneath his bed matched the walls. He had two black night stands on either side of his giant bed. Marinette gasped at seeing it. She took in the other side of the room and how it opened up to a massive white soaking tub. "Welcome to my hell."

Marinette pulled him closer to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "But… is it really hell with me in it?" Marinette smiled up at him and he smirked.

"Hell would be afraid of a woman like you." He leaned down and licked and sucked on her pulse point. She moaned and he walked her towards his bed. He gently laid her down on the soft comforter and took off his shoes and socks. " _You_ , my love, make this house feel like heaven."

"Adrien…" Marinette softly spoke and she looked up at him as he weakly crawled over her. He hovered over her and she gripped his shirt in her hands. He bit his bottom lip and watched her through his lashes.

"You're my home, Marinette Dupain Cheng." Adrien sighed and she ran her hands down his chest. He brushed his nose against hers, letting his breath feather on her lips. She moaned and arched her back, wrapping her legs around his hips.

"Let me ride you." Marinette sighed and brushed her lips against his and he groaned at her words. "It'd be easier, wouldn't it?"

Adrien gave in and climbed off of her. He leaned against the headboard and watched her crawl over on her hands and knees. She crawled up his legs and sat on his lap. She reached down and grabbed the hem of her shirt, slowly pulling it up and over her head. She bit her lip and watched him through her dark lashes with bedroom eyes and he groaned as she began to undo her jeans. She grabbed his hands and slowly slid them up her sides with her bottom lip between her teeth. She let go of her lip and guided him to push her breasts up with his palms. He sighed and took in how her skin seemed to glow in the low lights. The straps of her pale pink bralette fell off of her shoulders like petals on a flower, that had begun to bloom. He sighed as she let go of his hands and reached behind herself to undo the clasps. He ran his hands up her arms and pulled her bra down them with ease. He dropped the bralette beside him on the bed and she kicked off her jeans, leaving her in just a lacy pair of matching panties. He gasped and she slid her hands up his side, raising his white tee up his body and over his head. He shook his head back and forth, causing his hair to fall into chaos. She quickly undid his belt and pants.

"Eager are we?" Adrien kissed along her collarbones and captured her rosy nipple between his lips and rolled the other between his fingertips.

"Shut up and kiss me, Chaton." Marinette brought his face back up from her breasts and passionately kissed him. It was a kiss fueled by years of lust and century of admiration. A century of being apart.

Adrien shifted his hips, helping her get rid of his jeans and boxers. He let them fall to the ground and as he ran his tongue along hers… the sound of ripping fabric sounded. Her panties were left in pieces on the floor. He yanked her to him and she rolled her hips along him. His cock brushed against her soft pussy and she moaned into his kiss. His lips moved against hers hungrily, as he drank her in. Marinette rolled her hips just right and caught the tip of his cock with her tight opening. He broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers. She peered into his deep emerald eyes and they both panted, focusing on one another. She slowly inched herself down onto him and he let out a soft groan at the sensation of her pulling on him, clenching his aching cock, milking him with each small bounce as she took more and more of him in. She kissed him hard and pushed down harder and she gasped as he filled her. He moaned and kissed each of her breasts with love. Marinette rolled her hips and circled them as she bounced up and down on his hard cock. Adrien panted and gripped her hips as she made love to him harder and faster.

"Ah, Marinette." Adrien softly groaned and he used his hands to direct her as she arched her back and curled her toes. It felt amazing and she had never felt so full. Their souls felt connected and she had never felt so close to him. Adrien felt her walls clench around him and he couldn't suppress a loud moan. "Fuck."

Marinette flexed her muscles and tightened around him more, while she rolled her hips and bobbed up and down. They moaned loudly and she pumped down onto him harder. She eased back on her palms and leaned back, giving him a view. Adrien brought his thumb to her lips and she eagerly took it into her mouth and sucked, circling her tongue around it. He softly moaned and took his thumb from her lips. He brought his hand between their bodies and circled her swollen nub with his thumb. She cried out and pumped harder as she felt herself wind up. The pressure began to build and her legs trembled. "A- Adrien…" Marinette cried out and shuttered as she came, coating him in her sweet nectar.

Adrien went back to gripping her hips, she sat up, and grabbed his headboard, pumping down onto him harder. He moaned and spread his legs wider. He helped her ride him harder as he panted and shuttered. Marinette got lost in his glazed over forest hued eyes and soft hands. His lips were parted and his cheeks were flushed with his arousal. His messy blonde hair fell into his eyes and her heart faltered. She could feel him swelling inside her and knew he was close. She rolled her hips harder and when he gasped… she plunged her tongue into his mouth and he cried out and came hard. She rode out his orgasm and he kissed her with reckless abandon, while he dug his nails into her hips. She broke the kiss and he panted, trying to catch his breath.

"So…" Marinette kissed his lips, his jawline, and his neck. "Worth the-?" Adrien crashed his lips onto hers, interrupting her question. He slowly let her go with a smile.

"I only wish that could have happened sooner." Adrien sighed and Marinette giggled. He cradled her cheek and looked deeply into her eyes. "I wish I had met you sooner. It would have saved me a lot of trouble."

"Me too, Chaton. Me too." Marinette sighed and got up off of him. She laid beside him and he slid further down into the pillows. She wrapped her leg and arm over his body and he wrapped an arm around her waist. She peered up at him and kissed him again. "I love you."

"I love you too." Adrien smiled at her and suddenly rolled on top of her, capturing her lips in a deeper heated kiss. She moaned and arched her back, as he pressed his arousal against her. She was amazing and everything about her made him want her.

She gasped as he trailed kisses between her breasts till he reached between her thighs. She clamped her thighs around his head and he slowly slid his tongue up her folds, while he gazed at her with sparking golden flecked green eyes. Her heart sped up and she lost her breath at the sight. "Oh my god." She gasped and he closed his lips around her swollen clit as she sunk her fingers into his soft blonde hair.

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Adrien followed her to his kitchen. He sat down on a black leather bar stool at the island. Marinette ran around looking for ingredients to make him something to eat. "Are you hungry?" Marinette smiled at him and he leaned his cheek onto his palm.

"Starving." Adrien smirked at her, with a wink, and watched her still for a moment at his words.

"Why do I feel like you're not just talking about food?" Marinette giggled and pulled out blueberries and raspberries. Whoever was watching his apartment must have stocked his fridge recently.

He walked around the island and grabbed her back pocket, spinning her around. He pinned her to the counter and opened his mouth the speak. Marinette took a blueberry and placed it into his mouth. He looked at her confused and she reached up and brought her hands around the back of his neck, pulling him down to her. She ran her tongue along his bottom lip and he parted his lips, letting her deepen the kiss. She stole the blueberry from his mouth and she giggled, before she pulled away from him.

"Chaton?" Marinette looked up at him and he slowly opened his eyes.

"Hm?" Adrien dreamily spoke and stole a raspberry from the bowl that was behind her.

"Don't talk." Marinette bit her bottom lip and turned back to face the counter.

He smirked and pressed his cock against her rounded behind and rolled his hips. She gasped and suddenly clutched the counter with her hands and bit her bottom lip. He softly chuckled and she cleared her throat. He bent forward and kissed up her neck before he reached her ear. He nibbled along the curve of her ear and she softly mewled.

"Stop…" Marinette begged, but if she was honest… she didn't want him to.

Adrien spoke into her ear in a low heady voice. "You said for me not to talk. You said nothing about touching you or using my mouth for other things, lovebug." He bit down on her neck after he trailed kisses along her soft skin.

"Mmm…" Marinette let a moan escape her lips, before she stood up straight. "I'm trying to make you food. Now sit down a behave, big shot." She winked at him over her shoulder and he burst out laughing.

"Now, were using old terms?" Adrien spun her around to face him again and tilted her face up by her chin. He brought his face close to hers and gazed into her eyes with heavy green ones. "Should I call you, my intended?" His words came out in a low whisper and he watched her eyes slowly widen.

She gasped at his words and he smirked knowing very well what that meant. "Adrien... " Marinette searched his eyes and he smiled at her.

"Before you tell me I'm being too fast and moving everything so quickly." Adrien brushed his thumb along her cheek. "It's been six years… Longer even. And I-"

Marinette shook her head. "But you don't know much about me."

Adrien chuckled and sighed. "Your parents own a bakery. You are going to college to become a designer. You apparently love cats and…" Adrien looked down to see Plagg and Tikki rubbing along her ankles and meowing up at them. "-they love you. You're clumsy and worry about others. You love to take care of people and you love to bake. You also love to knit, considering you made me a very intricate blanket." He looked over at the clear bag with his stuff in it. A bright blue blanket filled most of it.

Marinette worried her bottom lip. "But what about you? I know nothing about your present day self."

"Hm…" He looked up at the ceiling in thought, before he returned his gaze back down to hers. "Well, what _do_ you know?"

"Um… well-" Marinette thought hard about it. "You model and your father is well known. You're supposed to take on the brand, but you don't want to. You had vivid dreams for years after your mother gave you this locket and she's no longer alive." She fiddled with the brass pendant in her fingers. "You got in an accident and lost your ring and somehow it got put in my favorite antique shop and- you have two cats… so- you must love cats too." She took a deep breath and he brushed his lips against hers.

"Anything else?" Adrien peered into her eyes and nibbled on her bottom lip.

She kissed him and pulled away. "You're father keeps you on a crazy schedule and you are driven by a bodyguard named Gorilla everywhere you go, but you own a car…"

Adrien shrugged, "Well, his real name isn't Gorilla… I just have always called him that. And I pay him off to get off my ass most of the time. I _do_ have a car. An _Alpine A110 Premiere Edition_ in a bright blue with an all black, leather, interior." He leaned into her more. "And… I _love_ to drive it. I do love cats and always have. My father would never let me have one, so when I moved out… I naturally adopted two." He winked at her. "Stubborn and rebellious, remember?"

Marinette burst out laughing at him and slapped his chest. "You would do that."

"So… you know a lot about me and I you, Mademoiselle Dupain Cheng. So, what's really holding you back?" He searched her bluebell eyes and she swallowed hard.

She worried her bottom lip and looked away from him. She couldn't bring herself to see his expression when the next words left her mouth. "I'm still having problems believing that I deserve someone like you. I feel like you're this perfect human being and I'm not. I feel like I'm going to just get in the way and hold you back and-"

"Ladybug." Adrien touched her chin and brought her gaze back to his. "You know very well that is not true. Look at me. I was hit by a car because I blacked out and had a vision. I can barely walk still without holding onto shit. I'm not perfect. I wasn't before the accident and I'm definitely not now. Should I list my flaws for you?" He chuckled and her eyes went wide.

"You'd do that?" Marinette was taken aback by him offering to talk about everything wrong with him.

"Sure, why not. You told me yours and I love all sides of you. The good, bad, and the clumsy." He chuckled at her and she pouted at him.

"Fine. Tell me. I don't believe you." Marinette challenged him and he laughed harder at her.

"Are you sure _I'M_ the stubborn one?" Adrien captured her lips with his and she relaxed into his kiss.

"Yes, yes I'm sure." Marinette giggled at him and he smiled at her.

"There's my Bugaboo. Okay, ready?" Adrien watched her turn around and continue to work on mixing the ingredients to make a berry tart.

"I'm ready." She threw a blueberry into her mouth and he walked around to sit back down because his legs were getting tired from standing for so long.

Adrien sighed and reached across the island to steal a blueberry for himself. "Alright, I'm stubborn, overly logical, I don't think before I leap. I have a terrible temper." He leaned further towards her with a furrowed brow and she giggled, while she mixed the ingredients with a whisk. She held the bowl and let go of the whisk in order to push him back into his chair. "I also have a million bad dad jokes. I can't walk right now like I used to be able to, which means my career is pretty much over for now. Hmm… I've been trapped in my room my whole life and only had one friend aside from you." His last comment sent her back to 1918 when the bombs dropped.

"Can I ask you something?" Marinette went back to whisking the ingredients together. She was afraid to ask, but she felt like she needed to.

"Anything." Adrien smiled at her and stole a raspberry.

"Back on January 30th, 1918… Where was I?" Marinette thought for a moment and he sighed.

"Well… You- um..." Adrien cringed as tears threatened to fall from his eyes and in that instant she didn't know if she wanted to know. "A month before the bombs hit… you had passed from influenza. I died a month or so after the bombing."

Marinette suddenly dropped the whisk and ran over to him. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheeks to his lips.

"Marinette, it's in the past. I wasn't actually there and you weren't either." Adrien tried to calm her down, but she wouldn't stop kissing him.

She touched his face and pressed her forehead to his. "It doesn't matter if it wasn't us… I couldn't imagine the pain that man went through. Couldn't imagine what it would be like to lose someone. Well, I guess I do. I almost lost you. I-" Her emotions flowed out of her as she realized that she had in fact almost lost him. "I almost lost you." She burst into tears and he picked her up into his lap with more strength than he had in a long time.

"Shhh… It's okay. I'm okay." Adrien brushed his hands through her hair and cradled her in his arms.

"I almost lost you." Marinette sobbed harder into his soft shirt and clutched it into her fists. "I- What then? What would I have done?"

"Well, probably the same thing you were doing with me, love bug." Adrien shrugged and she hit him in the chest.

"Stop being a keen… keen..." Marinette scolded him, stumbling over her words, and he burst out into hysterical laughter.

"Back to old phrases again?" Adrien kissed her on the top of her head. "I'm saying that even if I go… I'll always find you and always be with you. Whether you like it or not. You're stuck with me, my beloved." He tilted her chin up and captured her lips with his and her sobbing stilled. She sighed and tangled her fingers into the short hairs at the nape of his neck.

Marinette broke the kiss and sniffed as she licked her lips. She peered into his emerald eyes. "Okay."

"Okay what?" Adrien raised an eyebrow at her and brushed the tears from her cheeks.

"I'll marry you." Marinette searched his eyes and watched him come to life.

"You will?" Adrien perked up and watched her nod with a giggle.

"I will." Marinette laughed harder as he placed frantic kisses all over her face and grabbed her hands and brought them to his lips. He kissed her knuckles and lavished her neck and shoulders.

"Okay, okay." Marinette giggled. "I need to finish this berry tart. You sit and be good." She pushed him away with her fingertips, and he chuckled, as she slid off his lap. She walked around the island and poured the mixture into the crust.

Adrien leaned onto his palms and watched her with admiration in his eyes. He had never felt so much love for one person in his entire life.

 **Song I wrote to: The Night We Met by Lord Huron**


	9. Chapter 9

Marinette held Adrien's hand as they walked along the row of antique shops. Their hands swayed between them and she was busy giggling at the stuff he was saying. Her pastel pink A-Line dress flowed in the breeze and her white wedge heels made sounds along the cement. It was finally spring and she loved every moment of it. She peered over at him and took in his thin white button down shirt and tight light denim jeans. His orange converse stood out against the two colors. She pulled his arm closer to her and wrapped her arms around it, cuddling his bicep with her cheek.

"What is it?" Adrien bent over to kiss the top of her head.

"I'm just excited to show you _Le Petite Bibelot._ " Marinette warmly smiled up at him and he bent down to press his lips against hers.

"And I'm excited to see it." Adrien smirked at her and they stopped in front of the shop. Adrien peered up at the tall old building, before he opened the door for her. The outside didn't seem familiar to him. When he finally looked up from the ground, he was hit with a wall of memories. Memories of wandering around the shop looking for a girl with midnight hair and bluebell eyes. It was almost like a distant dream to him.

"C'mon." Marinette took his hand and pulled him along with a warm smile. "I wanna show you some of my favorite booths in here."

Adrien's shocked expression softened and he smiled at her, as she lead him around the shop. He took in each booth and the antiques within each one.

"Does any of this seem familiar to you?" Marinette picked up the old hand mirror, that she had previously wanted, and examined it.

"A little, yeah. It's weird because it all feels like a dream." Adrien picked up an old copy of _Hamlet_. "I love this play."

"What?" Marinette set the hand mirror down and walked over to him.

She looked at the classic Shakespearean play. "Why doesn't this surprise me?"

Adrien chuckled and lightly hit her on top of the head with the book. "I'll be buying this, thank you." He winked at her and tucked it beneath his arm. "And that hand mirror. Since you seemed so interested in it."

"You don't have to and you're such an old man." Marinette rolled her eyes and kept walking past the other booths.

"Hey, I prefer filled to the brim with wisdom." Adrien grabbed the mirror and the book and ran after her. He caught her arm and spun her towards him, catching her against his chest. "My intended." He brushed his lips against hers and she clung to his shirt with her fingertips.

Adrien parted his lips and Marinette plunged her tongue into his mouth. She set his two items on a nearby table and pushed him into the booth behind him. He caught himself against the wall and clung to her as they were surrounded by vintage clothing. The smell of dust and old books filled his senses and he didn't seem to care. Her fingers were in his hair as her lips were moving against his in reckless abandon. He sighed and pushed her shoulder, causing them to flip positions and he slammed her hands above her head. He pinned her and placed heated kisses down her neck to her shoulder. She ran her calf along his and hooked it around his leg, causing him to stumble and fall into her. She broke the kiss to giggle and he chuckled, letting her hands free, before tipping her face up.

"You know we're in public right now, right? Anyone could walk over and see us like this?" Adrien smirked at her and rubbed the tip of his nose against hers.

Marinette played with the collar on his shirt. "I know, but…" She walked her fingers up his chest. "I can't seem to care at the moment."

"You're gonna be the death of me, I swear." Adrien bent back down to lick and suck on her pulse point, causing her to clutch his biceps and roll her hips against him. "We should take this elsewhere." He pulled away from her and she bit her bottom lip and whimpered.

She caught his hand and yanked him back between the clothes. "Fuck me here." His eyes flew open wide at her words and his cheeks flushed as his cock flexed in his tight jeans.

"Run that by me again? I don't think I heard you correctly." Adrien swallowed hard and tried to calm himself.

"You heard me, Chat Noir." She pulled him down to her level by his collar and flicked his parted top lip with her tongue. She brought her lips to his ear and whispered. "Fuck me."

Adrien looked around them to find that the top floor was empty of customers. He yanked the clothing more around them and smirked at her. "It'd be my pleasure, M'Lady." He undid his belt as she stole chaste kisses from his lips. The sound of his zipper rang out and he touched her face and deepened the kiss. She quietly moaned and slid her hands beneath the waistband of his jeans and tight boxer briefs. She pushed them down far enough for his cock to spring free from it's confines.

He bit her bottom lip and tugged as her hand wrapped around his hard shaft. She slid her hand along him and he let out a deep quiet purr from the back of his throat that caused her to soak her panties.

Marinette gasped as he lifted her legs around his hips, by her ass, and slid her panties to the side. "You're so ready for me." Adrien whispered in a low tone in her ear and he slowly swiped his tongue along the shell of her ear before he nibbled along it; while he slid a finger inside of her tight sex.

She bit her bottom lip and quietly mewled, choosing to bite down on her index finger to silence herself. He dipped his finger in and out of her, crooking it so that he could brush his fingertip along her swollen bundle of nerves within her walls. She rocked her hips and he gripped her ass with his free hand. He pulled his finger out and placed it between his lips, licking it clean. She gasped as he watched her with a dangerous expression. One of a man that had lost control and was watching their prey. She gasped and pulled him in by his collar. She slipped her tongue between his lips and he ran his tongue along hers in a heated kiss. Adrien took that opportunity to enter her. She gasped as he filled her with each thrust and he kept his mouth on hers, while he gripped her ass and pumped into her wet sex. The sounds of their lovemaking filled his ears. They tried to be quiet, but she was so wet and so warm… He sighed and buried his face into her shoulder, biting her sensitive skin and sending her over the edge.

Marinette panted and bit her finger to keep her moans quiet. Adrien felt the pressure build and then explode into a million stars. He gasped and quietly growled into her skin. She dug her nails into his back and tried to catch her breath as he slowed his movements. Adrien pulled out of her with a slick sound. He looked down at his cock, that was still twitching and coated in her sweet juices.

Marinette smirked at him and dropped to her knees. She grabbed his hips and took him into her warm mouth. He tasted like her and something about the sweet heady flavor made her go wild. He looked down at her with parted lips and pumped his hips, as she made him cum again within moments. She let him go and he fixed his pants as she stood back up onto her feet.

She wiped her lips with the back of her hand. "Are you okay?"

Adrien chuckled and ran a hand through his hair. "You're kidding right? You just told me to fuck you in a public place and then sucked my dick. I'm more than okay. I'm pawsitively cat-tastic."

"Oh God." Marinette burst out laughing and pushed him out of the way. "Ready to buy your book, old man?"

Adrien rolled his eyes, picked up the book and hand mirror, and caught up to her. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her against him, whispering in her ear. "I don't think an old man can do that, Ladybug."

She gasped, took his hand, and spun out of his embrace. "Let's just go, catsanova."

Adrien chuckled and followed her down the stairs to the cashier. He paid for the two items and they walked down the row of shops. A small cafe sat at the very end and Adrien pulled her inside of the place.

"Where are we going?" Marinette searched his eyes with her own as curiosity filled her.

"I thought I could treat you to a little dessert." Adrien smiled at her and her heart burst.

"Sounds delicious." Marinette sighed and sat down in the white ornate chair that he held out for her.

"I thought you might enjoy that." Adrien smirked and pushed her in.

A waitress quickly came by and handed them a menu. Adrien pulled out a pair of black rectangular framed glasses from his pocket. He began to ramble off an expensive champagne from the list and a few pastries. Marinette marveled at the way that he ordered. His voice had been sweet and fluid like honey. The waitress was a lost cause and nearly fell to the ground after she walked away.

Marinette leaned her chin on her hands and looked at Adrien. "Do you not know how you affect women?"

"Hm?" Adrien looked up and over his glasses at her. His blonde bangs fell into his eyes and Marinette's mouth ran dry. "What do you mean?"

Marinette sighed and pointed to the waitress that was busy stumbling over their order. Adrien looked over and shrugged. "I'm a model. I was in the news for a long time, Bugaboo. Everyone acts that way around me."

She then pointed at a man that could care less beside them. "Do you see any men staring at you?"

"Well, one. Over there." Adrien pointed out and Marinette rolled her eyes.

"Okay, but the majority that do are women." Marinette sat back as they were served the champagne.

Adrien shrugged and held up his hand. "Leave the bottle."

"As you wish, Monsieur." The waiter bowed and walked away from them.

A tier of pastries was sat between them along with two plates. Adrien smiled and thanked them. "Which would you like first?" He began to reach for a pain au chocolat when Marinette spoke.

She gestured with her champagne fluke. "That woman over there. Well, pretty much all of the women here can't imagine you being with someone like me." She took a long sip of her bubbly drink.

Adrien rested his hand back onto the table and his shoulders slumped. He brushed her hair behind her ear and ran the back of his hand against her cheek. "That's because they're jealous of me being with such a beautiful woman. Don't mind them. Who cares. I love YOU, not them. They just wish they were you, Marinette." He smirked and then went back to serving them each a pastry. "Let's just forget about the world around us and only focus on the two of us, hm Bugaboo?"

Marinette giggled and nodded. She picked up her pastry and ripped off a piece to eat. "Okay. Only us."

He raised his champagne fluke. "To us. The two lovebirds that went through Hell and Heaven together."

Marinette smiled and gently tapped her glass to his. "To us. Forever and Always."

"Forever and Always, M'Lady." Adrien leaned across the table and gave her a chaste kiss, before they both took a sip of their drinks.


End file.
